Penpals compressed version
by nekoanima
Summary: What if Harry had a pen pal as a child, another boy who was all alone, someone who can one day turn the world on edge.
1. PreHogwarts

Title: Pen Pals

Author: Nekoanima

Summary: What if Harry had a pen pal as a child another boy who was all alone. Harry makes friends with the young Tom Riddle as their letters bounce through time to the one they needed the most.

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><p>AN: this is the compressed version of Penpals. The great number of chapters that make up the standard version will be compressed so that it will be one uber chapter per year. it will update far slower than the standard but this should halt any complaints about the starting chapters being too short. unfortunately if you all want to see my random author's notes and regular updates you will have to go to the standard version.

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><p>"He's such a strange boy he doesn't associate with any of the other children."<p>

"I know it will only hurt him in the long run if he doesn't learn how to make friends."

"I've got a wonderful idea why don't we let him have a pen pal then he can read and write as much as he wants and he can have a friend to talk to. Tom watched the two adults discussing him from a hidden spot just outside the room.

"If you want to try it, but don't get your hopes up Martha."

"Alright I'll go tell him right now." She smiled. Tom bolted silently back up to his room. A moment later Martha walked in.

"Tom, Mrs. Cole and I have a wonderful idea for you. You are such a smart boy and we thought it would be a good idea for you to have a pen pal. Now why don't you start writing a letter to introduce yourself and I will mail it after your done."

"Yes ma'am."

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><p>Harry looked at the letter that had no name of who to give it to curiously. He decided he would have to open it to find out who it was meant for.<p>

_Hello_

_My name is Tom I am seven years old and I am being told to write to a person I don't even know so they may become my pen pal. The matrons of the orphanage want me to make a friend for some reason thus concluding my purpose in writing this letter._

_Sincerely, Tom_

A happy bubble filled Harry's belly, he could have a friend that Dudley wouldn't be able to scare away quickly he searched through one of the kitchen drawers and found paper to write a reply on. He quickly scribbled out his reply while Aunt Petunia was outside spying on Mrs. Nextdoor again. He hurridly put the letter into the post box and prayed Tom would write back

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><p><em>Hi Tom,<em>

_My name is Harry. I am seven too. I was the one who got your letter. I would really like to be your pen pal._

_Harry_

Tom looked at the childish reply in an untidy scrawl he was not particularly impressed but he thought of a way to remedy his problem. None of the other children wanted to be around him when they found out what he could do so maybe writing what he could do would make this child not want to write to him. It was a perfect plan.

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><p><em>Hello Harry,<em>

_As we are now pen pals I believe I should tell you a few things about me._

_I am seven years old,_

_My favorite colors are green and black,_

_I am an orphan,_

_I can speak to snakes,_

_Unexplainable things happen around me._

_If you still wish to be my friend then respond to this letter._

_Sincerely,_

_Tom_

Harry read Tom's letter in the gloom of his cupboard and that happy bubble in is belly expanded. Tom was like him. He would understand. He wanted a friend more than anything. But Dudley always scared them away. Tom wouldn't be scared.

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><p><em>Hi again Tom,<em>

_I still want to be your friend so I'll tell you some things too._

_I'm seven,_

_My favorite color is green,_

_I'm an orphan,_

_I can talk to snakes too,_

_I know what you mean I don't mean for them to happen but they do. My uncle punishes me for it when they do. You're my first friend I don't want to stop writing you because then I'll be alone again. I want to be your friend too I think you would understand me better than anyone._

_Harry_

'_This changes everything'. _Tom thought after reading the letter.

_Harry, _

_Please send me a picture of you so I might know what my new friend looks like._

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><p>'Harry's a girl!' he thought looking at the picture that had arrived with his letter. The picture showed a soft-faced youth with either an exceptionally large shirt or an ill-fitting dress belted at their waist. The child in the picture was small and lean sitting on the ground beside a flowerbed. But one thing confused Tom about her picture. Her picture was in color. It must be something new he decided but he was pleased with it the color showed him her almost glowing green eyes that sparkled behind her large spectacle frames. She had a smile on her face was just contagious it made Tom happy inside just looking at it.<p>

"Is it another letter from your pen pal Tom?" The boy looked up from the letter he was writing

"Yes ma'am, her name is Harry. I thought she was a boy at first then she sent me a picture."

"It is probably short for Arietta or Harriet." Martha smiled sweetly at the little boy it seemed that having a pen pal was a good idea for him.

"Harry fits her just fine." He said stubbornly.

"Can I see her picture?" Tom looked up at her with cold eyes for a moment but just as fast as the terrifying look came it was gone.

"Yes ma'am." The young Riddle said quietly before taking out a picture from his pocket. Martha looked at the picture, she was worried in a moment as with the color in the photo she could see fading bruises on the back of the girl's neck and she looked to be wearing boy's clothing that was much too large for anyone her size.

"Tom maybe you should ask her what her home is like it would be something nice to know and you could tell her all about all those wonderful books you read." She saw the boy's eyes light up at the thought of his books it seemed that all he really cared about was his books and their knowledge, and perhaps this little girl. Martha sighed at least he cared about one person now.

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><p><em>Hello Harry,<em>

_Would you tell me about your home? I've already said that I live in an orphanage. It is rather dull here and all the children are just as dull in personality and intelligence. The Matron Mrs. Cole is a stern woman who keeps us all under her thumb while Martha is a odd woman who wants all of us to be friends with each other or some such nonsense._

_All the other children are afraid of me because of the things that happen around me. I hate them particularly Amy and Denis, but Billy I loath. I had a snake friend who would speak with me from time to time, Billy killed her. _

_You said you were an orphan as well I believe I want to know what it is like to have a family around me. Could you tell me?"_

_Tom_

Harry read Tom's letter and cried a little for his friend because he was the same.

_Hi Tom,_

_I really cant say much about it here I don't know if I could call it home. I mean I live here but my aunt and uncle don't want me here. I'm a burden to them, that's what they tell me. My aunt says my mother was a whore, whatever that is, and my uncle says that my father was a lay about and a drunk. I wish I could tell him he's a liar but I never knew them so I don't know maybe it could be true. _

_During the day I do my chores I do all the housework so my relatives don't have to my uncle says that I'm supposed to be pulling my weight. Funny he says this when I don't think he could pull his weight if he tried. My uncle is a very big man. He scares me sometimes when the bad things happen he yells and turns purple in the face sometimes he'll just hit me and throw me in my cupboard without food. But its only for a few days so its not bad. I know I'm a burden to them but they still keep me even though my uncle threatens sometimes to send me to an orphanage. If he ever does I'll make sure to end up with you. You're my first friend Tom._

_The bad things make the other kids scared of you? That's okay as long as they don't hurt you. Dudley makes everyone scared of me they all think I'm either crazy, a bad kid, or a freak. And the ones that aren't scared of me are scared of Dudley hurting them. Dudley and his friends like to play Harry Hunting. I don't like that game at all. _

_I'm sorry about your friend Tom, no snakes come into my relatives' yard but I don't know why, I've never seen any in the park either. It makes me sad I like them but I've only met one he was nice he was the class pet he was black and red and white. The teacher called him Stripes but she got rid of him. Until you said you could hear them too I thought it was just my imagination. Stripes liked to sing. It kind of made me feel special when I could hear him sing but nobody else could. I think Stripes knew more about science than the teacher did cause his songs were sometimes about her lessons._

_As for knowing what it feels like to have a family… I don't mind it they are very strict with me and I know they don't like me but they keep me so that must count for something. So I try to make their lives easier. I don't know though sometimes I look at Dudley and wonder why he doesn't have to work like I do, but I guess its because he's actually their son and I'm not._

_I have to go now. _

_Love, _

_Harry_

Tom read Harry's letter and felt anger coarse through him at how she was treated. What was worse was she seemed to be okay with how she was treated. _His _friend thought she deserved to be treated so horribly. He could imagine her with her sweet smile simply taking a beating from a huge man because she thought it was okay.

"Tom darling what's wrong?"

"Her uncle hits her and she gets sent to a cupboard with no food for days. And she acts like nothing is wrong with it."

"Oh sweetie." Tom always found Martha odd he hated people in general but she always used such endearing terms on him even though he had clearly never shown any liking to her.

"Sometimes things like that happen and they go on so long that the ones they are happening to think its ok and that nothing's wrong with it because it became normal for them."

"No. I wont accept that she's like me I wont let her be hurt."

"Tom we cant do anything about it but I think you just being her friend is better for her than anything else because then when she realizes that whats happening is wrong she knows there is someone out there who cares."

"She needs me to care?" the brown eyed boy looked confused at how his caring could affect his friend at all.

"Yes because just because she sounds fine with it in her letter doesn't mean she is in fact it probably hurts her a lot. You said she was just like you Tom would you tell anyone if you were hurting."

"No you wouldn't you would try to solve it yourself. But I think the biggest problem with Harry's situation is they are her family and she's so young that she can't solve it herself."

"She makes things happen too. She can protect herself. "

"Your such a good boy Tom. I think if you keep writing to her Harry will keep being brave."

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><p>As time went on Martha watched her favorite of her kids. Her clever one, when he received a letter from Harry he was always so happy. When he found out she had been hurt again he was angry. When the other children were cruel he faced them, if he was beaten he got even.<p>

Sometimes she worried about her boy, she considered him her son in all but blood, even more so than the other boys. Because Tom was special she had held him in her arms the night he was born, she had nursed him from a bottle and now she was watching him grow up and save a little girl from drowning in her own life. She knew that Tom didn't care that she cared for him if he even realized it at all. She wasn't always there but when she was she tried to make it count as the other caretakers never seemed to pay him any mind at all. She had realized long ago that the children were cruel to her boy, and in time he learned to be cruel back. But she was pleased that at least he learned to hide his darkness behind those beautiful smiles and angelic looks. At least he cared for his Harry. Yes Tom was going to be a very special boy when he grew up.

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><p><em>Hello Harry,<em>

_Not much has happened in a while but Billy and the others tried to corner me in the yard today. He was laughing and calling me a freak. I was so angry; I remember he was laughing while he killed my friend as well. Then they were all screaming. Billy's rabbit was hanging from the rafters twitching. They ran and told Mrs. Cole but she believes that I did it. She called me a devil child for doing it. Martha said it couldn't have been me she was holding me the entire time. I don't understand that woman she knows I don't like people yet she does things like that._

_After I left Mrs. Cole's office Martha kneeled down to me and looked me in the eye I hate that I hate when people do that, make me feel inferior to them. Then she told me 'No matter what they say it wasn't your fault Tom' what a stupid thing to say. I know I didn't do it but I think it was my fault whatever this is that happens around us got even with Billy. It made him pay for killing her. It makes us special. I think if you need it to it would protect you. _

_Tom_

Harry read his friend's letter and he was scared, the things that happened were his fault. '_I don't want any one to get hurt.'_ He stowed away Tom's letter with all the others in a shoebox under his cot. Then he curled in a corner and cried, everything he was punished for was his fault. The Duresly's had a right to hate him, and call him a freak, it was true.

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><p><em>Tom,<em>

_I'm scared I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me. _

_I think Martha is kind of like your mom. She takes care of you even when you don't want her to. I wish I had someone like that._

_Harry_

Tom looked at her letter and sighed, Harry was too good of a person to be in this world. She didn't want anyone to hurt even if they hurt her.

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><p>The years rolled by for both Harry and Tom, their letters being the only comfort they had at times. With Harry's suffering and Tom's torment in those short years they had aged decades. They were now ten and wiser to the world than they had been before but no aid could be given to them as they suffered in silence. While Tom raised his head high and got even Harry lowered his eyes and took every wound from every punishment that came.<p>

_Hi Tom,_

_Sorry I couldn't write to you I was on restriction. I was only allowed to do my chores, go to school, and sit in my cupboard. The teacher's wig turned blue and Dudley told my uncle. Sometimes I think Dudley just likes seeing me get punished._

_Harry_

Such notices of Harry's restrictions were far more common than Tom liked but he knew that she wouldn't complain about them and she would ignore the pain it caused her.

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><p><em>Harry,<em>

_Its alright so long as you can write to me again. The caretakers took us to a beach today. I found a cave on the coast to explore it was rather interesting to tell you the truth. There was a water snake living there she was very old and very clever. When I was talking to her Amy and Dennis followed me into the cave. They saw me speaking to her and they tried to stop me. They called me a freak and yelled at me. I told them to forget what they saw and then something strange happened. They started screaming and then their eyes glazed over and they acted like it never happened but they are scared of me now even though they cant remember why._

_Tom_

Harry worridly read Tom's letter, he loved his friend dearly and didn't want anyone to hurt him. He didn't want Tom to lose another friend. But he was happy Tom met the old sea snake.

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><p><em>Tom,<em>

_Its really great that they don't remember that, I don't want them to be mean to you for being special. You're my best friend Tom, everything about you makes you even more special to me, you make me feel like I matter, I'm glad you met the sea snake she must have been really wise. I wish I could have been there with you to meet her too._

_Dudley and his gang were playing Harry Hunting again I really hate that game. If they manage to catch me Piers holds my arms behind my back while Dudley or one of his stupid friends hits me. Most of the time they go for my glasses that's why there's a lot of tape on them, cause of how many times Dudley broke them but my aunt wont ever buy me new ones she just gets mad at me for breaking them again. But what I was saying, they were playing Harry Hunting and I was running I meant to jump behind the bins but I think the wind caught me and I ended up on the roof. Now I'm suspended by the headmistress for supposedly climbing the buildings. My uncle isn't pleased at all. I've been in here for three days now and I'm kind of hungry but if I sneak out of here and my uncle finds out I'll be in more trouble I don't know if it's worth the risk or not to try and get food. I can barely eat anything but chicken soup after restrictions like this anyway. And I think two of my ribs are broken again._

Fresh rage was felt for his friend's situation. Tom felt rage because if he didn't no one would for her, Harry would never feel rage for herself or her disdainful relatives. She really was too good of a person for this world. A thousand times before he had thought that of her and he knew that no one would ever change that.

_Harry,_

_Don't your doctors notice that your bones have been broken? When have you had your ribs broken before?_

_Tom_

Tom knew her relatives hurt her frequently but she had never told him that they had broken her bones before. In the three years they had been writing eachother she had never mentioned it. Admitting that her abuse had gone so far, so casually both enraged and worried him.

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><p><em>Hi Tom,<em>

_I've never been to a doctor. I broke three ribs when I was five, I was going upstairs to clean Dudley's room when he told me to stay out and he pushed me off the landing and down the stairs I cracked my head on the base board and my ribs on the bottom stair. There was a lot of blood for me to clean up Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were furious. After I fell Dudley tripped and broke his nose. They took him to the hospital while I cleaned up the blood. Funny the first time they ever leave me alone in the house and I couldn't see straight enough to do anything._

Tom read Harry's letter and realized sadly just like he had every time before, that there was nothing he could do to make it any better so a change of subject was required. '_I hope she realizes that this is wrong one day. Hopefully before it gets her killed.'_

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><p><em>Harry,<em>

_There is something that I've been curious over how do you send letters to me even when you're on restrictions like the ones your uncle gives you?_

_Tom_

Harry sighed happily at the change in subject

_Tom,_

_It's no problem. I send them to you when I'm allowed out to do my chores I'll hide the letter in my shirt and put it in the box when I'm supposed to get the mail for them. They haven't gotten wise to it yet. There have only been a few times when I was punished bad enough to not even be allowed to do my chores mostly that happens when the weird things happen in front of other people. My relatives don't like being associated with anything abnormal and things like that ruin their reputation_

_Harry_

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><p><em>Harry,<em>

_Their reputation shouldn't be a reason to hit you. They are your family they should take care of you not the other way around. I know how bad the world can be but they are supposed to look after you._

_Tom_

Harry looked at Tom's letter with confusion, he had always taken care of his family. He didn't know any different, why else would he be punished when he did a bad job of it if it wasn't his duty?

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><p><em>Tom, <em>

_I feel humiliated right now I know it does no good to whine about it but I need someone to talk to. This morning Uncle Vernon looked over his paper and said I needed a haircut. This is nothing new he hates my hair. I think I have had more haircuts than my entire class combined. The thing is when my aunt cut it she got fed up with doing so and she cut it all of until I was almost bald but she left my bangs. As if I don't get picked on enough for wearing Dudley's clothes, broken glasses and being scrawny. I have to go to school tomorrow like this. It makes me want to cry but I wont because that never solves anything. Its funny how that works, my real tears are worthless and don't do anything for anyone but Dudley's fake ones could make his parents give him the world. Stupid piglet brat. Tom do you think I ever did something wrong to make me worthless to them?_

_Harry_

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><p><em>Harry,<em>

_You aren't worthless. Your relatives are terrible people what they've been doing is wrong I hoped you would see that Harry. Your uncle shouldn't be allowed to hit you. Dudley shouldn't either and you shouldn't have had to do all their housework since you were four. Nothing about them is right. I wish I could help you out of that place. When I grow up I will come and get you and then you'll be safe. _

_Tom_

After reading Tom's letter Harry held it closely to his chest and cried. His hair may have grown back but the humiliation was still fresh in his mind as it had been that night. He knew how his relatives treated him was bad but he had always thought that it was okay because they were allowed to do it. It had taken him years to realize that this was not how family should treat people. He was glad that Tom was there for him even if it was only in his words, he took comfort in them.

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><p><em>Tom,<em>

_When I got up the morning after I sent your letter all my hair was back. My uncle yelled at me as if I could help how it grew._

_I think I'd like that Tom, when I was little I used to imagine some unknown relative coming to take me away but that was when I was little. Now I can imagine it being you. Would that make you my knight in shining armor? *Smirks* _

_Harry_

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><p><em>Hi Tom,<em>

_I am once again on restriction only this time I don't know when it will end. Dudley's birthday was the other day and my aunt and uncle were going to take him to the zoo. The lady they normally get to watch me broke her leg so I was allowed to go with them. I was so happy I even got to have ice cream for the first time. But then we went to the reptile house. I think the glass there is sound proof I couldn't hear any of the snakes talk. Dudley and Piers found the biggest snake in the whole place really quickly. It was a Brazilian boa constrictor. He was sleeping when they found him so they kept banging on the glass to wake him up, he didn't move though. I felt bad for him so there I was leaning on the glass talking to him. I told him sorry about Dudley and his friend, I was just there talking to him I think he could hear me even though I couldn't hear him cause he would nod. I felt terrible when I found out he never knew his parents either he was bred in captivity it felt like when I write to you it made me feel like there is one person in the world who understands._

_Then Piers noticed me and him and Dudley waddled as fast as they could and knocked me out of the way. Then the glass disappeared Dudley fell in and the glass came back. The boa constrictor escaped as fast as he could but as he was leaving he said 'thanks amigo.' I wonder if he's going to make it to Brazil._

_As fun as it was being there I got punished for the vanishing glass when we got home thus where I am now I'm sneaking this letter into the mail when no one's looking though I suppose that's nothing new they would probably make me stop writing to you if they knew. You're my secret my favorite secret._

Tom read Harry's letter and was immensely pleased even though he was still angry at her punishment. He liked the fact that he was the only one who knew her, he liked that she kept him her secret like this was something that couldn't be tainted by the rest of the world they were the only ones who knew each other.

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><p><em>Harry,<em>

_I like the idea that we have something that nobody else can touch, you aren't a secret from those around me but speaking with you is enjoyable._

_Tom_

Harry knew that Tom liked writing to him but it made him warm and fuzzy inside when he actually said it.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_I got a letter. After I hid yours I noticed it and I couldn't help but stare at it the only one who's ever written me is you. But I looked at it too long and my uncle took it and burned it. The only good thing that came out of it is that I got Dudley's second bedroom. But I'd really rather be in my cupboard with my letter than up here without it._

_I have to hurry I'm gonna try and sneak one of my letters after they arrive._

_Love,_

_Harry_

Tom had just finished reading Harry's letter when Martha walked into his room.

"Tom there is a man here to see you he says his name is Professor Dumbledore." Tom didn't like the look on Martha's face when she spoke about the man. He may not like Martha but if she didn't trust the man he would never like him.

"Hello Tom. My name is Professor Dumbledore. I am here to invite you to the school that I work at."

"She wants me sent away doesn't she? Mrs. Cole she wants me sent away. She thinks I'm mad I never did anything to the other kids." Tom could feel his anger rising.

"Hogwarts is not a place for the mad, Tom. It's a place to learn magic." He studied the dark haired boy carefully. "Had anything ever happened to you Tom, things when you were angry or scared?" a look of delight flickered in Tom's eyes.

"I knew I was special. " But just as suddenly as the joy entered the boy's eyes it was gone replaced with a glare of suspicion.

"you're lying. Prove it."

Dumbledore waved his wand and the wardrobe in the corner of Tom's room caught fire.

Tom watched in horror and amazement as the wardrobe burned. Horror because all of Harry's letters were in a box in there. Amazement because it had been set alight without anyone touching it.

"Make it stop." Tom orders the man. Dumbledore just frowned and swished his wand.

Instead of reaching for his treasures first he kneeled down and pulled out the box of letters he had received from Harry. None of them were any more burned than the wardrobe; even her picture was still fine. After he was sure that her letters were safe he looked at the professor his box of treasures was shaking behind him.

"What are you waiting for then Tom I believe there's something in that box that doesn't belong to you." Tom carefully reached for his treasure box and opened it revealing its contents to the professor.

"Thieving will not be tolerated in Hogwarts." The man's twinkling eyes looked at him sternly.

"I understand sir, professor I have a question for you." Dumbledore looked into the little boy's eyes and in his mind was the picture of a little girl at a snake exhibit. And a memory of the boy himself with a small corn snake.

"what is it Tom?"

"is it normal to be able to talk to snakes?"

"it is not unheard of but it is a very rare gift."

"I see. Thank you sir." Dumbledore looked at the young boy warily, such erratic emotions and a gift like being a parselmouth made the boy before him very dangerous, he would have to keep an eye on this one.

* * *

><p><em>Hi Harry,<em>

_I received a letter of my own, I have been invited to attend a boarding school this fall. I will try to keep writing to you while I am gone._

_Tom_

A new school would be good for Tom, he was sure that his friend would love it , to be able to escape the orphanage for most of the year. But at the same time he felt bad. Harry knew it was selfish of him to want Tom to turn down the chance. He perked himself up, it wasn't right to want to keep Tom to himself. Brushing away his previous feelings he allowed himself to be completely happy for Tom.

Hearing the sound of his door being unlocked he hid Tom's letter in his pillowcase.

"boy come down an make dinner."

"yes Uncle." With that the large man watched with his beady pig-like eyes as the petite boy submissively began his trek to the kitchen. The boy was nothing but a burdon to his family, albeit a useful one. His wife never had to cook or clean, his family was always fed and they never had to buy him anything. The only thing that caused a dark cloud over his family was that boy's freakish powers. Vernon Dursley credited himself as being an intelligent man, the freak's kind were starting to want him back. No matter he thought a good whipping would fix the boy right, make him a decent member of society he would. No one would care how it was done just that it was.

He heard the mail slot click and in the entrance he saw the boy looking hopeful. That wouldn't do at all the boy wasn't going and that was final.

Or it would be if Vernon Dursley had the last say.

* * *

><p>Tom walked back into his room after having spent the entire day in Diagon alley, he had begun to explore the knowlage his new world had to offer and it was amazing. Every book he found he devoured and remembered, perhaps Harry's letter was similer to his own invitation to Hogwarts, it would be wonderful to share that with her he thought.<p>

He opened his bedroom door and his lips quirked upwards, on his bed were three letters all with his name on the front in Harry's untidy scrawl. A pearly white Snowy Owl was perched on his window sill looking at him regaly. He looked at the three dates on the letters and opened the oldest one first.

_Hi Tom,_

_My grand plan to get my letter was a bust my uncle was waiting for me to try something like that. Then when three more showed up he barreled down the stairs and took them from me. _

_A few days latter on Sunday he was way too happy, he said that there was no post on Sundays then all of the sudden hundreds of letters came shooting out of the fireplace. Some how I still didn't get one. Now he's muttering to himself about something I'll send you another letter when I can to give you the update to my letter getting mission._

_Harry_

Tom smirked at her mission to get her letters but he understood why it was important to her. He opened the next of them and began to read it's short message as well.

_Hi Tom,_

_I think my uncle has gone mad. He thinks that the person sending me letters is stalking us. I don't know why anyone would want to spy on such a boring family as mine. The letters kept coming and now we are at a hotel somewhere. The weather just seems to be getting worse here I hope its better where you are._

_Harry_

Tom wondered where Harry was now as the weather in London had been dry and hot for several weeks by then. He then opened the last of her letters, the first words made him smile, truly smile.

_Tom,_

_Its magic, what we do is magic! I got a letter. About a hundred of the letters showed up at the hotel after I had mailed yours. I almost got them but my uncle signed for them and then he made us move to another place. My uncle thought moving us away would get the letter sender to give up we ended up on this miserable little rock out at sea in a shack on the last night then on my birthday a giant man arrived and he gave me the letter. _

_At first I couldn't believe that it was magic, my relatives always told me that my parents died in a car crash because they were drunk but then the man told me that they were killed. I can't believe that my mum and dad were a witch and wizard. _

_Maybe your mum and dad were wizards too and that's why you have your magic. I will be able to write you as often as I want now. By the way her name is Hedwig I found her name in my History of Magic book she acts rather queenly doesn't she._

_By the way. Why didn't you tell me what kind of school you were going to? But I think I can understand why, I probably wouldn't have believed you if you said you were a wizard. But don't leave anything out anymore Tom. I am back at my relatives'' house again, I'm going to be here until school starts._

_Love,_

_Harry_

Tom's smile was an ear to ear grin at this point they were magical, the muggle world was no place for them now and now Harry would be getting taught how to use her powers, even if it wasn't the same school as him she would be away from the muggles soon. He stroked the feathers of the pristine bird who really did have a princess like manner.

"Hedwig are you. My Harry has a princess in her midst." Hedwig puffed herself up importantly her wizard had worthy suitor indeed to pay her compliments. She approved most certainly.


	2. Year 1

Title: Pen Pals

Author: Nekoanima

Summary: What if Harry had a pen pal as a child another boy who was all alone. Harry makes friends with the young Tom Riddle as their letters bounce through time to the one they needed the most.

DISCLAIMER!: I own nothing or Harry never would have ended up with Ginny.

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><p>Martha had volunteered herself to take Tom to the train station, just like when he was small and starting primary school she had walked him there, just like as if he was her own son.<p>

After they arrived at the station she looked down at her precious boy and noticed his scowl marring his normally angelic features. She smiled softly as she realized what he was waiting for. He was so independent and he would never ask for help. He didn't want her to be around anymore. She sighed at this.

"do you have everything that you will need for the ride Tom?"

"yes ma'am." His politeness was always so cold to every one, the fact that it was only displayed when dealing with authority figures only pointed to the fact that it was force. But Martha never took offense she knew life had made him this way, though she wished that she could be present more in his life she knew when it was time to leave him be.

"Alright then Tom I wish you luck at your school." She smiled gently before leaving him as he wished her to.

Tom looked at his ticket and shook his head at its uselessness to him. Then he thought about it logically. There were eight columns of platform nine and ten. How interesting he thought it was that there were the exact amount to be divided into quarters. Curiously he walked over to the sixth pillar and ran his hand over it. He was surprised and impressed to find that his hand went through it. He pushed his trolley through the barrier and found himself on another platform entirely and if the signs overhead were correct then it was indeed Platform 9 3/4.

Docked in the station was a long scarlet steam engine with the golden words 'Hogwarts Express' embosomed into its polished side.

He lugged his trunk onto the train and he found himself an empty compartment after stowing away his trunk he pulled out one of his books and began to read.

A few moments latter a dark haired boy looking to be about the same age as Tom himself walked in.

"is it alright if I sit in here?" the boy asked and Tom looked up from his book. He stared at him for a moment but didn't answer.

"alright then." The boy stowed his own trunk and sat down.

"Hi I'm Alaphard Black by the way." The dark haired boy looked at Tom expectantly even as Tom turned back to his book.

"Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" Tom didn't even look up this time.

Several hours ticked by with similar results. Alaphard chattered on and on while trying to get a response from Tom while Tom continued to read his book.

Tom looked outside for a moment before standing and leaving the compartment. A few moments latter he returned wearing his school robes.

"oh is it that time already?" the ever talking Alaphard Black piped up looking at Tom." Once again Tom ignored him. A few minutes latter the train came to a stop and they disembarked. As they stepped off they found themselves being lost in swarm of students getting off the train, laughing and talking to each other, creating a deafening din of noise.

"FIRST YEARS! FIRST YEARS THIS WAY!" a bellowing voice came over the crowd, Tom turned towards it and saw that it was coming from a squat little old man with a fluffy mustache. Soon all the first years found themselves grouped together leading to more of them talking and creating nuisances for Tom who still liked peace and quiet far more.

"Black who is this?"

"I don't know his name he hasn't said a word the whole train ride."

"My name is Tom Riddle." The cold edge of such a light voice surprised the other first years.

"I don't recognize you surname, you must be a mudblood."

"Avery didn't your mother ever teach you etiquette such words are uncouth."

"Alright Tom let me introduce everybody to you, that guy over there that cant act proper at all is Felix Avery, the blonde with more hair than a girl is Abraxaus Malfoy. Um the guys over there are Dominik Lestrange, Mordred Carrow, and Augustus Rockwood"

"ONLY FOUR TO A BOAT!" the man herding the first years yelled. In the end Tom found himself sharing a boat with Avery, Malfoy, and Black.

He watched the water slip by as the boat cut through it; Harry would have loved it he thought. Soon the great silhouette of a castle could be seen. The boats were docked and the first years led to the doors. The man leading them raised his hand and pulled on a great iron knocker the sound of it beating against the wood of the door reverberated and silenced the group of children around him. The monstrous doors opened and allowed them inside where they were again led this time to an antechamber where they were told to wait. After the man left them alone murmurs began to break out amongst the youngsters.

"How do you think they are going to sort us? My cousins and siblings wouldn't tell me."

"I am unsure my father said it was to be a surprise."

Tom looked up from his book. "it's a hat." He states bluntly before returning to the world of words he immersed himself in. his other hand was in his pocket clutching at Harry's last letter, this was their chance even if she wasn't at his school they finally had a chance.

"No way."

"Yeah I don't believe you mudblood." Avery piped in.

"Believe what you will. It is a hat." Just then professor Dumbledore appeared before them and led them all into a Great Hall. There were four long tables with hundreds of students, at the front to the hall was a fifth long table seating the staff. In the middle of the hall Dumbledore stood with a long list and a three-legged stool on which rested an old weathered black witch's hat. The ragged thing twitched and then began to sing using a rip in it's side as a mouth. Tom did his best to forget he ever heard the accursed thing sing.

"when I call your names you will come up here and put the hat on your head." Then he began down his list calling each student out and the hat would cry out their house. This went on until finally he got to Tom.

"Riddle, Tom"

"**Lets see here, oh you are brave very brave but not foolish in it like many of Godric's house. You are wise beyond your years and you quest for knowledge, but that knowledge is gained for power, you would find Rowena's children to be quite dull only seeing the books in front of their faces. You are loyal but I'm afraid if I put you in Helga's house you would eat those little dears alive, no you aren't nearly as carefree and light hearted as they. They wouldn't understand you, you have seen too much of the world's cruelty to be one of them. But Salazar's house yes I think you could fit there, you could fit very well indeed, your cunning knows no equal, and your ambitions, you haven't been conquered at them yet. Yes I know where you belong."**

"SLYTHERIN!"

With that Tom removed the worn out tattered old hat from his head and silently walked to the green and silver clad table. He never saw the weary look in the deputy headmaster's eyes. A look that said that his suspicions were confirmed.

* * *

><p>Harry wandered through the station of King's Cross alone. His uncle and aunt had just drove off laughing at his ticket, leaving him all alone and unsure of what to do. He scanned the lines of platforms but nowhere to be seen was 9 ¾ .<p>

Harry watched as the oldest red haired boy ran at one of the pillars but just before he crashed into it someone walked in front of Harry. The boy had disappeared. The next two older boys who were identical twins seemed to chat for a little while before they both ran towards the pillar. Harry watched as both of them didn't crash but went through the pillar Harry blinked and watched again as the youngest boy was next to run. He did the same as the twins did and passed right through the pillar but none of them had come out the other side. Harry watched finaly as the mother and daughter. Harry did as he had seen and walked his trunk through the pillar. On the other side he found himself on a completely different platform.

Harry headed over to the train to board but one of the wheels on his trunk stuck and the force he had tried to push it with caused him to topple over it and land on the ground. Hedwig screeched as his fall knocked her cage over.

"are you alright?"

Harry looked up to see the blonde boy from Diagon Alley.

"I'm sorry."

"I remember you, you were that boy from the robe shop."

"um yeah."

"I'm Malfoy by the way, Draco Malfoy."

"I'm Harry." He said softly, he really didn't want Draco to fawn over him like the people in the Leaky Caldron had done, in fact compared to them Draco was a breath of fresh air. Harry brushed aside his previous feelings about Draco acting like Dudley. After all Dudley would never help anyone not even if he got something out of it.

Draco and Harry boarded the train and quickly found an empty compartment. Soon their door was opened. The youngest of the red haired boys from earlier walked into his and Draco's compartment.

"Do you mind every where else is full."

"No go right ahead." Harry said helpfully not noticing Draco's eyes narrowing at the red haired boy. The boy sat down then looked up at Harry. Amazement and wonder crossed his face in an instant.

"You're Harry Potter!"

"Oh him… I mean yes."

"Do you really have the…. The scar?

"oh yeah." Harry lifted his bangs to show his scar.

"Why didn't you tell me who you were?"

"Cause then you might have done exactly what both of you are doing now." Harry said sheepishly.

This didn't diminish the red head's starstruck looks. But Draco nodded.

"I'm Ron by the way."

"Do you know what house you will be in?" Ron asked

"I'm going to be in Gryffindor my whole family's been there."

"Umm. I don't know." Harry said softly he still didn't know what house he was going to be in. really he just wanted to find Tom.

"I told you in the shop I am most likely to be in Slytherin.

"There's not a witch nor wizard that went bad that wasn't in Slytherin."

"That's a lie Weasley." "There are plenty of good people who came from Slytherin. And there are people who went bad that were from other houses too."

"Oh yeah like who?" at this point Harry had tuned out their argument

"…" Draco just scowled viciously at Ron.

"What about your mum and dad?"

"Father is a politician, most would consider that 'going bad' by default, mother manages our estates."

"Oh." Harry said, Ron continued to glare at Draco as though he was the source of the world's evil.

Harry piped up after a moment of their silent war. "Wendolen the Weird was a Slytherin." He said they both turned to look at him he suddenly felt very self-conscious and tried to sink back in his seat.

"Who's that?" Ron asked bluntly. "Whatever doesn't matter the point is that everyone hates Slytherins cause they know they are evil." After that comment Draco glared at him even more malevolently but he didn't say anything to counter it.

"Wendolyn the Weird was a witch who saved a lot of people by using a flame freezing charm to stop them from dying during witch burnings. She liked being burned so she let herself be caught disguised about 47 different times."

"Weird." Ron said looking at Harry strangely; Harry realized what he had done. He had acted smarter than Ron, now his new friend was going to hate him.

"Yeah but what those little history books don't say is that the witch hunts weren't all fun and games, people died, little kids who couldn't do anything died."

"Whatever Malfoy." Ron rolled his eyes as if Draco hadn't just said something that was saddening.

Then the door to their compartment opened.

"Any thing off the trolley?" an old witch came into their compartment. Harry was ecstatic he had never been allowed to have candy before. But when he looked at the cart he found that all of it was candy he had never seen before.

Ron made a face. "I'm all set." He held up a very squished sandwich.

Draco simply got a box of ice mice and an acid pop. "Mother said that the feast will fill me up so I shouldn't get many sweets."

Harry looked at Ron and decided something. "I'll take a bit of everything." He held out a handful of galleons.

"What are you going to do with all those?" the red head asked slightly envious.

"I thought that we could all share I've never had candy before."

"Really why not?"

"I mean I've never had this kind of candy before." Harry quickly lied. "My relatives are muggles." He carefully elaborated, not saying that he hadn't had muggle candy either.

"Oh that explains a lot. I'll help you find the good ones." Ron grinned. Harry was happy to be able to have someone to share with for the first time. He thought about Tom and he set aside a few of his chocolate frogs so that he could share something with his friend.

After a great deal of time Harry found that the only ones he particularly liked were chocolate frogs, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, and liquorish wands. He kept to those after trying things. Ron however ate most everything while Draco sat across from him looking disgusted.

Suddenly their compartment door was slammed open. In walked a girl with bushy brown hair, with no warning what so ever. "Have any of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville lost one."

"No." Ron said rudely.

"No, sorry." Harry gently stated, he didn't want trouble.

"…" Draco just glared at the girl.

"Oh well." With that she turned around and left.

"If I had a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you I got Scabbers so I can't talk."

"If you can't talk, don't say anything." Draco said scathingly. Harry just looked between them trying to keep things from escalating.

More time passed with Ron telling stories about his family, Harry would listen with rapt attention and Draco would glare, give scathing remarks, and roll his eyes at the red head. This continued until their compartment door was yet again thrown open.

The bushy haired girl had come back this time wearing their school uniform. She took a look at Harry and Ron who weren't wearing their robes yet.

"You two had better change into your robes. We are going to be arriving soon."

The two of them did as was suggested and changed, it turned out to be wise for only a few minutes after the train came to halt. They all got off and found themselves in the train station of a small village among a crowd of other students.

"Firs' Years! Firs' Years!" Harry turned around as he heard Hagrid's booming voice, he grinned when he noticed him.

"hi Hagrid."

"Hello there Harry." Hagrid smiled warmly through his beard.

"Firs' Years this way!" He bellowed and turned leading them towards a fleet of small boats.

"no more than four to a boat." He told them. Harry ended up sharing a boat with Ron, Draco, and a boy that was apparently Draco's friend- Blaise Zambini. After climbing into their boat Draco turned to him.

"why do you like that man?" He asked.

"because he was the one who convinced my uncle to let me come to Hogwarts."

"your uncle?" Harry smiled at the thought of how Hagrid had 'convinced' Uncle Vernon.

"I live with my aunt and uncle, he didn't want me to come here he was going to srnd me to a muggle secondary school, he said he wasn't going to pay for me to learn magic."

"that's stupid you would have your trust vault, and your family vault after you turn 17."

'_I have more than one vault?'_ Harry wondered what that meant as he turned around and watched the water slip by their boat.

Harry loved how beautiful the water of the lake was but even as beautiful as it was he found himself wishing that Tom was there to share it with. Tom was the only one he could ever trust absolutely to never hurt him. He liked Draco and Ron just fine but they weren't Tom. He wondered if he would meet his friend at the sorting.

After leaving the boats they were all led inside to and antichamber where the school rules were explained to them and then they were led into the Great Hall. Harry felt like a goldfish as they walked into the hall. After they were all in the worn out hat on the stool began to sing.

After the sorting hat's song Professor McGonagal explained how they were going to be sorted.

A list of names was called and Harry began to feel more and more anxious, what if he just sat there and they told him it was a mistake. What if they all hated him? Where was Tom? More names were called and Harry began to wonder if Tom was in a different school, surely there was more than one.

"Potter, Harry." With his name said a low roar of whispers began to fill the hall. Still feeling the angry bats in his stomach he went up to the stool and the hat was placed on his head, slipping over his eyes.

"_**Interesting,"**_ A voice whispered into his ear.

"_**You are loyal ever so loyal, but you don't trust very easily. No Helga's children would be far too much for you. So like another I sorted many years ago. You like knowledge but you don't crave it as a Ravenclaw would. Godric and Salazar would argue over one like you. You are cunning but you only use it to help others and to hide yourself, and bravery…. Yes Godric would have been proud. But where should you go?**_

'_Please not Slytherin. They will all hate me here too. Please not Slytherin anywhere but Slytherin.'_

"_**Really? If you are sure then... **_

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"_**How fitting."**_ The Hat murmured in his ear before it was removed from his head.

Gryffindor house cheered loudly and Harry walked over to them, for a moment he looked up at the Slytherin table and saw Draco scowling.

* * *

><p>Tom came up to the Great Hall for breakfast, it had been about a week since the sorting and he was one of the first to do so. He ate his breakfast quietly and ignored the rest of his housemates as had been. Then a flock of owls entered the great hall carrying post to the students, some from parents, some being news papers or magazines. But Tom looked amongst the swarm for one specific owl. Hedwig, Harry's owl. Amongst the screeches and fluttering feathers he saw her. She landed in front of him a moment later with a letter and a parcel for him. He took them both off of her before he opened Harry's letter. Hedwig leaned down to take his bacon to which he glared at the immaculate bird for.<p>

"I don't think so princess." Hedwig gave an offended hoot before eyeing the plates of his housemates.

_Tom,_

_I love it here its so amazing and beautiful I wish we were at the same school that would be wonderful. But I think we would probably drive the teachers mad. _

_My defense against the Dark arts professor has a screw loose I think, the man looks like he's afraid of his own shadow. I like my Transfiguration professor even though she is a little strict… ok a lot strict the first day me and a friend I made were late and she said 'perhaps I should transfigure the two of you into pocket watches that way one of you might be on time'. It was really embarrassing we were only late because we got lost. The potions professor I found doesn't hate me, he loathes me. I don't even know why I have never done anything to him to warrant that much dislike from someone I don't know or doesn't know my relatives. My history of magic professor…. No comment there I think watching paint dry would be thrilling compared to him. My charms professor is very interesting he's very excitable and very short. He's a tiny old man with a high squeaky voice that makes me wonder if he got stuck in a room full of balloons when he was younger. I think he's part goblin actually, that would explain a lot. Herbology is interesting but I'm not to good at it, the professor there is a kind tiny old witch. Well tiny compared to most adults, I'm tiny compared to everyone in fact our charms teacher is the only one I'm taller than. I really like it here so far I was really hoping to see you at school with me but I guess there are other schools to. On the way here there was a candy cart, I was so excited, but I didn't know what to get so I got a little bit of every thing to try. I had never had candy before that you know, I kind of made my stomach ach but it was fine by the time we got to the feast. I shared some with the two boys I was sharing a compartment with, Ron and Draco. _

Tom felt irrational jealousy toward the boys that she mentioned, but he knew it would have to be something to get use to. She wasn't going to be just his anymore she was going to have more in her life than just his letters. He sighed and continued reading.

_Draco only ate a little bit because his mother told him about the start of term feast. Ron ate like he was starving. It was kind of nice to have something to share and someone to share it with._

Yet again Tom felt jealous, because it wasn't him she had shared with and felt that enjoyment with. He stifled that feeling as he had done to the one before it and yet again returned to Harry's letter.

_Anyway now Draco is furious with me because we are in opposing houses. Ron and I are in the same house though. _

_Tom do you know anything about trust vaults and family vaults? Draco mentioned something and I didn't understand there was quite a lot of money in my vault. My parents left it for me when they died. How can there be a second vault?_

_Harry_

_PS I got these for you. I really liked them I thought you might like them too._

Attached to her letter had been a small box while he grabbed a knife from the table to open it he saw Hedwig stealing Abraxaus' bacon while the blonde was turned away. He smirked at that before turning back to the box in his hands.

Inside the box was about a dozen Chocolate Frog boxes. He inwardly smiled at this, se had shared with him after all.

"Who's the letter from Riddle? Your girlfriend."

"I wish she was but no Harry is my pen pal."

"Some muggle bird you fancy."

"No I she's a witch. I don't know what school she's going to though but Hedwig is hers."

"What's her blood like and do you know what she looks like?"

"She's an orphan as well she is most likely a half blood as her guardians are muggles that were aware that she's a witch. I have a picture of her with me. It is a little old now but she was rather cute in it." Tom drew out the picture that Harry had sent him once.

"You're right Riddle she was a cute kid but you might want a newer picture of her unless you want someone thinking your into little kids."

Tom glared as Avery walked away, then he picked up a quill and began to write his own letter

* * *

><p><em>Hello Harry,<em>

_My own classes are similar to yours the professors are all vastly different however. As I am writing this your owl is stealing more bacon. I didn't think that they could eat that. I believe you are spoiling that bird…. Can she read? She is now glaring at me as though she can._

_But as I was saying my professors are all-different than yours. My defense professor is a rather aged woman who will probably be retiring in a few years time but she knows what she teaches. My charms professor is similar to yours but he is a young man, he is a dueling champion apparently. My potions professor is…. Eccentric to say the least. He gathers students he deems to have talents and gives them help. Fortunately for me I am at the head of all my classes so he is interested in me. He is also my head of house. My transfiguration professor however is very much like your potions professor. He hates me but I think he might be worse than your potions professor. He hates me and tries to hide it while acting like he cares. He was the one who introduced me to the wizarding world and I may have acted brashly. This was not my fault however as he was in fact lying about something. But he hates me even more after I was sorted into my house. He shows blatant favoritism to students of his own house and no one says anything about it. Are professors not meant to be impartial?_

_Harry may I have another picture of you? I want to see if you've grown up any. You were so small in the picture I have of you. It's rather hard to believe that we've been writing for four years now. I enjoy having you as my friend._

_Tom_

Harry as avidly as ever opened his mail from Tom, he read the short paragraph written and smiled. He, like many times before, then put Tom's letter in his pocket where it would stay until he returned to his room and then it would join all the rest of Tom's letters. He asked around the Gryffindor table to see if any of them had an owl order catalog for cameras.

A few days later the camera was delivered to him. He happily began taking pictures around the school. He took a picture of himself in one of the courtyards, then latter with Hagrid's giant pumpkins, by the lake, and a view from the astronomy tower. Harry took the pictures and developed them with the help of an older Gryffindor.

Harry looked at his finished pictures and wrote notes of them on the backs.

As they walked to their flying lesson Ron began asking him about his miserious pen pal.

"why were you taking all those pictures?"

"they're for my friend."

"so who is this person?"

"he's my pen pal."

"you have a pen pal?"

"yeah we've been writing since we were little. He's a wizard too."

"then why are you taking pictures of everything why not just show him?"

"he goes to another school."

"oh." Harry didn't notice Ron looking at him strangely as they continued their trek to their flying lesson.

"three. Two. One" Her whistle sounded but before anyone else Neville had risen unsteadily into the air. Very quickly he began to panic as his broom rose higher and higher. Suddenly the broom bucked violently and the boy tumbled downwards to the ground.

Madam Hooch ran over to his crumpled form and tutted as she examined him.

"I will take this boy to the Hospital wing I don't want a single one of you in the air until I return. If any of you break this rule I will have you out Hogwarts so fast your heads will spin." With that she marched Neville off the grounds and up to the castle.

Out the corner of his eye Harry saw Draco picking up Nevlle's rememberall. He watched confused as Draco mocked Neville. Then he heard mention of keeping it.

"Give it back Malfoy! That's Neville's!" Harry yelled shocked at his own voice.

Draco scowled, how dare he place other people above him, he met Harry first. Why should he cater to those fame hounds?

"no I think I'll let him get it back on his own, if he can find it." Draco took off on the broom he had in his hand, soaring high above the ground. He turned around expecting Harry's mouth to be open in awe at his skill, what he saw however was the smaller boy speeding towards him like a bullet. In his shock the rememberall flew out of his hand. Not even a split second later a rush of air and blurred colors shot past him. He looked back and realized that Harry had just caught it.

As Harry landed the other students swarmed him but Draco caught the confused look on his face, Harry didn't understand why he was getting attention for it.

"HARRY POTTER!" the dark haired boy turned around confusion completely gone from his face and it was replaced with a blank mask, he lowered his eyes as Professor McGonagall fussed about his stunt. Draco frowned at this, something was strange with the Gryffindor- wanna-be.

The next morning Draco saw Harry at breakfast, he was surprised, he thought for sure that he would have been expelled. His eyes narrowed once the owls arrived, a long thin package was delivered to Harry. It could be little else but a broomstick. After the lion boys ran from the great hall he followed them.

The infuriating red headed youngest son of the Weasleys was already running his mouth. How could Harry let him be his friend? Then Weasley challenged him, Harry looked lost and confused about the whole thing. Draco returned the challenge declaring that it would be a duel, Weasley claimed being second while Draco picked Crabb the troubled look on Harry's face grew but Weasley never even noticed as he tried egging him on. Then it was decided their verbal sparing ended with…

"midnight in the astronomy tower." The words rang like doom bells in Harry's ears.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_I had a flying lesson yesterday, I was pretty nervous about it. A boy in my class broke his wrist by falling off a broom. He had this thing he got from his family in his pocket, and it fell out. When the professor was escorting him to the hospital wing Draco took it and was going to hide it somewhere, I told him to give it back but he took off on his broom. Before I thought about it I was up in the air too. I launched myself toward him to get it back but he sent it flying I thought I was going to be expelled honestly; instead they put me on the team .I made the Quiditch team for my house. I'm seeker. Before me they were missing a seeker. Our three chasers are all girls, Alissa, Angelina, and Katie, Ron's elder brothers the twins, Fred and George are our beaters, and Oliver is our captain and keeper. _

Tom smirked he didn't particularly care for the sport but Harry seemed to be ecstatic about it. He was pleased that she was enjoying her school

_P.S. here are the pictures, I went a little overboard with them, I hope you like them._

He removed the pictures from the envelope as well and leafed through them. Harry hadn't grown much at all since her first picture, it bothered him quite a lot. Want that a sign of malnutrition? He nearly laughed at the picture of her with a set of pumpkins, they were nearly twice as tall as she was. The next picture was of a lake, Harry was sitting by the shore of it, it almost looked like the black lake but the trees surrounding it were many times larger and the coastline was slightly different.

He opened her next letter it seemed that she was writing what happened in bulk before she sent them.

_Tom, _

_I need help out Slytherining Draco. He challenged me to a duel and Ron being an idiot accepted it for me I don't know the first thing about dueling. I wish they would either stop hating each other or leave me out of it watching them bicker gives me whiplash. _

_Harry_

Tom scowled, Harry was being put into unnecessary conflicts by her 'friends' if she got hurt again because of them…well they would pay for it quite painfully. He was sure Harry would forgive him for it as it would be in retribution for her.

Hedwig studied her master's suitor, he was quite irate at her master's fools. The red own that shared a roost with her master was by far the most annoying getting her master into trouble.

She watched with calculating eyes as her master's Tom wrote his response. She cocked her head to see, being bonded to a wizard was a wonderful thing indeed letting her read the human scribbles, and understand their speech. But her master also spoke snake and since bonding with him she wouldn't eat a snake. She could hear them now as well so no meals that talked back was to be a good thing.

As her master's suitor finished his scribbles she read them and hooted amusedly. Such a good suitor her master had. Keeping him out of trouble. He handed her the letter which she gingerly took in her talons. She ruffled her feathers in preparation of leaving but before she took off she spun around and swiped a piece of bacon from Tom's plate.

With an amused hoot she flew out towards her master's Hogwarts. All the while enjoying Tom's bacon.

'_mmm bacon.'_

Returning to her master Hedwig landed gracefully on the Gryffindor table, she could not understand why her master would choose a house with such garish colors. She rather enjoyed the cool beauty of her master's suitor's house. She eyed down the line up of the Gryffindors, her master's red fool was stuffing his face like a chipmunk. He opened his mouth to speak and bits of chewed food spat out. Hedwig ruffled her feathers, she was a rather vain bird and she knew it but the red fool was disgusting. She rusled her feathers again and leaned towards her master, he wasn't eating again and looked worried. She nudged his hand, she offered her talon holding his Tom's letter. A small smile formed on his face when he took it, he offered her a bit of chicken, which she gladly took.

_Harry,_

_First Slytherining is not a word. Second the only suggestion I have would be a) look up dueling. And b) lie and don't show up let him get caught for being out of bed._

_Though I can not say I enjoy the sport by any means I'm glad that you have found something that amuses you so. I don't believe they let any girls play on our teams. Your school must be very interesting._

_Your pictures were all quite good, you should eat more often though you are far too small for our age._

Harry blushed at that remark, he knew he was small, in fact he was one of the smallest first years there was. He took a bite of his lunch, as if it would make Tom stop worrying, then he began to read the last few words of his friend's letter.

_Do me a grand favor and stay out of trouble I don't want you getting hurt._

_Tom_

Harry felt warm inside at Tom's advice. It always made him feel nice to know that he cared about what happened to him. Tom was so important to him, he was always there and Harry could always trust him.

He stowed away his letter and felt better about facing the rest of the day, even getting out of the duel with Draco looked brighter.

Latter that night after they had all turned in for the night Ron pulled Harry out of bed.

"lets go we have to meet Malfoy."

'_Oh no, I don't want to Tom said to stay out of trouble'_ Harry struggled as Ron pulled him through the portrait hole, seeming not to notice.

"where do you think you two are going?" Harry looked at the bushy haired girl, Hermione he reminded himself, thanking her silently for stopping Ron. Unfortunately it didn't last for long.

"what am I supposed to do in a duel?" Harry asked praying that Ron hadn't seen him in the library earlier looking up how to duel and spells.

"you just fire spells at each other." He said bluntly clearly feeling important for knowing something he thought Harry didn't.

"you cant go sneeking out after hours!" Hermione screeched, Harry thought if she had a bit higher pitch she would sound like Hedwig when she was offended.

"oh shut up." Ron retorted going back to dragging Harry.

Once outside the portrait they saw Neville leaned against the wall.

"what are you doing out here?" Hermione asked.

"yeah it shouldn't take the nurse that long to fix a broken bone."

"I got lost and then I forgot the password."

"oh the password is mimblewimble."

A few minutes later all four of them were wandering the corridors with Ron in the lead. Harry resigned himself that there was no turning back now.

"Students out of bed they are here somewhere, heading to the tower

"Malfoy tricked us!" Ron exclaimed. Harry sighed '_no he tricked you, he did exactly what Tom said I should have done.'_ Suddenly an echoing yowl reverberated through the corridor.

"what's that?"

"quick its Filtch's cat hide!"

"where?"

Harry turned looking for a place. "There, through that door!" Harry hissed, he knew he should he listened to Tom.

"it's locked!" Ron griped, Hermione shoved him out of the way.

"Alohamora." Hermione whispered and the door opened, the four of them scrabbled inside. A moment later they found exactly why the door had been locked.

The dog was sleeping when they opened the door, that was no longer the case.

Between that and Filtch Harry was taking his chances with Filtch.

The four of them ran all the way back to Gryffindor tower. As the portrait slammed shut behind them Harry decided not listening to Tom's advice is not worth it.

* * *

><p>"What is this." Tom asked scathingly, his voice cutting like blades of ice, his gaze turned on Avery. If looks could kill Avery would have been dead. In fact he rather wished he had basilisk's eyes at the moment. Perhaps a transfiguration that should be researched. But no, he had more pressing matters at hand such as the fact that Avery had gone through his things and taken one of Harry's pictures.<p>

If that were not enough to require an act of vengeance he had pasted the picture into a skinmag that he had swiped from one of the older years. Tom was not just angry he was livid. Avery would pay, he may not be able to harm anyone here but that would not stop Tom in the slightest. There are more ways than one to get retribution. But the first matter at hand was removing Harry's picture from the accursed magazine.

That night Tom sat in the great hall peacefully, and quiet verses his housemates' chatter or the ever-growing din from the Gryffindor table. Woe to many in the past it was Halloween night, his favorite day of the year. He simply ate his dinner in peace and enjoyed some of the specialties for the day. In all his appearance made no allusion to his fury earlier in the day.

The feast was well under way when the antechamber doors burst open. The entire hall turned to look at what had burst in. there with hundreds of eyes on him was Felix Avery bunny hopping, bound and gagged, in nothing but his blue stripped boxers. Tears pricked at the boy's eyes as he realized that everyone was staring at his humiliation. He didn't know what was going on or why just that he was where he was and everyone was staring.

Both annoyance and amusement flickered in the eyes of the staff. But Dumbledore's eyes flicked over to the Slytherin table where Tom sat calmly watching the other boy's suffering. The transfiguration teacher turned to the headmaster and whispered.

"We must get to the bottom of this."

"Come now Albus the boy isn't hurt anymore than his pride, besides I highly doubt another first year could have done it all of those were fourth year level spells." Horace Slughorn said cheerily. Dumbledore sighed he knew for a fact who was responsible but he couldn't prove it in the slightest the boy was clever enough to cover his own tracks.

"Perhaps you are right Horace. I may be a little hasty. But if it happens again I will have to investigate the matter."

"Of coarse. I would expect no less." Dibbet beamed at his deputy.

Much later after the feast and the commotion of Avery's entrence to it had died down. The boy found himself accosted by the resident mudblood of Slytherin, Tom Riddle.

"Listen and listen well Avery if you ever cross go through my things again I will do far worse than damage your pathetic pride. Do you understand me?" Tom said scornfully. He then canceled the silencing charm.

"You filthy little mudblood how dare you!"

"Ah yes one more thing." "_termino apponum."_ Tom smirked maliciously at his victim. "Now you will not be able to tell anyone and don't even bother looking up the counter curse, I'm the only one who would be able to undo the spell."

"you..you.. AGH!"

"That is correct me. Now answer my question Avery will you cross me again?"

"… no."

"pray that you aren't lying to me. I hate liars. If you cross me again I will make you suffer." With that simple but chilling promise held in the air Tom left the pitiful boy to his own devices.

The next morning as they all sat at breakfast Avery watched Tom carefully, almost to the level of paranoia. He saw a snowy owl land before the disgrace of Slytherin. A regal thing it was. It didn't belong to him Avery recalled, it belonged to some girl he was always writing. Now that he thought about it that owl showed up every few days with at least one letter then stuck around long enough for Riddle to write his own response to what ever was written. The bird turned and glared at him, literally _glared_. What had he done to it? Absolutely nothing that's what in fact he didn't even deserve what Riddle had put him through at all. It was just a little picture. The girl in it might have been cute but she wasn't that cute.

While Avery was having his dilemma Tom was contently reading Harry's letter.

_Tom,_

_I can honestly say this was the most interesting Halloween I have ever see. Someone let a troll in the castle, Ron thinks it was somebody playing a joke. It almost killed Hermione, she's the girl that ron cant stand. She is a little bossy I'll give him that but that was really no reason to make her cry. _

_but anyway , that is not a good joke somebody really could have gotten hurt or died. Trolls aren't very trainable at all so how did they get it to listen enough to lead it into the castle? It really doesn't make any sense I would think if someone steered it towards the castle that it would have killed them but nobody knows who did it. But it turned out okay in the end it stunned itself with its own club._

_I hope your Halloween went better than mine._

_Harry_

Tom shook his head and began to write his response.

_Hello Harry,_

_My Halloween indeed went well, I had a minor misunderstanding with one of my housemates but it was taken care of. Halloween is my favorite day of the year as I've said before. I learned a great deal of new spells yesterday though some of them were quite handy in a prank I pulled on my housemate. As I said our misunderstanding is now settled. _

_I do hope that you will take care Harry. Stay out of trouble. I don't want you hurt. If something else like that happens I want you to get out of the way._

_Tom_

Tom looked up at Hedwig who was still glaring at Avery.

"you are a strange bird. To know that it was him. Honestly I swear you are far too smart to be a normal owl." At this Hedwig puffed up her chest importantly.

"you are not getting my bacon." Hedwig's intelligence sparkled in her eyes. With Tom's letter held in her talons she took off, after reaching a moderate height she spun and dive bombed Avery's plate swiping his slice of chicken. A look of shock was visible on his face as after gobbling down his chicken Hedwig took off again this time returning to her master.

* * *

><p>For ten years I was nothing but shadow and vapor. For ten years I have felt like I was dying but I did not die. Now I finally have enough energy gathered to posses a human but even that was too much, I am a parasite on a weak simpleton's being.<p>

The most I can do is give him orders and even then it leaves me more tired and worn than I started. I have had him drinking unicorn blood to keep this body from burning out and dying as the small creatures I inhabited before did.

The fool can't even do that right instead of simply slaying one of the beasts and collecting its blood in vials with a stasis charm, every few months he kills another of the beasts. I have no energy to teach my worthless host how to do this properly. I sleep so often now, it is only when he begs my attention do I awake.

The first night of being back in Hogwarts felt almost surreal, but it was still twisted and marred with this pitiful, weak, wretched existence I currently survive with.

I was resting as peacefully as could be possible when my host leans his head back rather abruptly. If it would not have exposed me I would have sworn quite loudly. That turban did little to nothing to soften the impact to my own forehead. My ire spiked at this causing him to attempt to stifle a whimper, pathetic man.

It was Halloween before he did anything and I was loosing my patients. With what power I could muster I made my fury known to him and told him to act soon.

Apparently my host has an affinity for Trolls, it makes perfect since that he would he is nothing but a simpleton himself. How poetic is it that my enemy should be exposed to a similar danger as my beloved once had. He did not inform me of what happened to the beast after it had been let loose but that matters little all that matters is that Severus, the most faithful of any disloyal men I have ever had the misfortune of meeting, blocked my host's attempts to gain access to the stone. If I had the energy I would point out that everything he does is blatantly obvious.

Latter my host said that he had been found and interrogated by Severus. I truly don't care so long as he does what I ask of him. A while after that, not long before Christmas he told me, my host found a mirror that he said contained the stone.

"Allow me to look into the mirror." I demanded of him, my voice was raspy and faint like a man dying of thirst. My host servant complies and removes the retched turban from my face. At first the mirror showed my own reflection, it was sickening and nothing at all like the face I remembered. There was nothing human about my face now.

Then the mirror changed images it no longer reflected my parasitic form it its place I saw a cottage by the sea, the very shore I had once visited as a child, the same shore I had promised the only woman I had ever loved to bring her to one day. The very one that now hid part of my soul amongst a swarm of corpses.

There in the yard of that cottage she stood ever so beautiful, My Harry. Her hair was long and waved and peppered with strands of silver while the rest was still as black as a raven's wing. She turns away from me and kneels a small tot runs into her arms, then a young man comes. He mouths something to her and she embraces him as well. Behind the young man came an older man, with dark eyes, neat hair and grayed temples. That was a face I knew well, the face I had looked up in the mirror to see everyday before I split my soul, the face of Tom Marvollo Riddle. I can only watch as he kisses Harry softly. I know what this is now, I know what cursed miracle of magic my host stumbled upon.

Just as my Harry had looked into it decades ago I did now, just as she had said thousands of men had before her. She was right it could drive a man to madness. I refuse to see anymore of this it has worn me to my end. I mus rest again now. I will leave my host to his foolishness for a while yet as I recuperate.

That night I dreamed, it was the first time I had dreamed in a long time. I dreamed of my Harry with snow-white wings christening her back and a flowing white robe. I was a young man again, and she held me as she whispered to me.

"I'm tired." I told her wearily. She smiles softly.

"I know, Tom. But your time hasn't come, you have seven souls to keep you safe." She ran her hands through my hair.

"I wanted a world you would have never been hurt in. That world ended before it even existed."

"Your world is just beginning." She smiled again and the dream began to fade.

One day I will have completed that world, the world where no one will ever feel her pain again. A world without muggles, my gift to her memory.

* * *

><p>it was the day of the big Gryffindor vs. Slytherin Quidditch match. Draco looked at everyone filling the great hall for one reason or another these matches always got the most hype.<p>

His eyes fell to Harry. He wasn't eating again it seemed. Draco could never understand what could cause him to not eat or to eat so little when he did, he had been getting better about the amount slowly but still it was hardly enough to fill him at all. His owl seemed to be attempting to pursuade him to eat every so often she would pick up a piece of parchment from the table and every time she did so Harry would start eating again even if it was only a few bites.

Draco had noticed that weather she had mail for him or not she was always at the Gryffindor breakfast table persuading her master to eat and stealing bits of food from others. She seemed to make swiping food from others into a game that only she knew the rules of. Such a weird familiar he had found himself think quite a few times about the proud immaculate bird. But then he would find himself often thinking the same about her master. Harry Potter was a boy who made no sense at all.

Later, shortly before lunch the Slytherin Quidditch team left their common room and headed towards their lockers on the Quidditch pitch. Not long after they left the school itself began to empty and its populace migrated to the stands.

Draco being the ever-loyal Slytherin he was sat in their stands. There really was no rule that stated where the students had to sit but it seemed that each house stuck to their own.

The match was starting to get rather heated as he saw Marcus begin to pull out some less than clean moves on the Gryffindors. Then all of the sudden murmers began to spread through the stadium, they were no longer cheering they were all staring. Harry's broom had started to buck and rock, every what it jarred Harry stayed with it.

Draco frowned as he watched under normal circumstances he would say it looked like some kind of attention seeking stunt but that didn't fit with Harry at all, and it wasn't stopping if anything it was getting worse. Draco looked around at the staff many of them were whispering to each other but up in the top of the stands was his godfather, Draco read his lips and realized something was indeed very wrong. His godfather was chanting a counter curse and the broom was still out of control. Draco was sure that if he could see Harry's eyes he would see some form of fear there.

Then all of the sudden he saw his godfather break eye contact, then he saw why- his robes were on fire. But just as soon as his godfather started trying to put out the flames Harry's broom came back under control and it seemed like he had also spotted the snitch. Because he bolted. The Slytherin seeker soon joined the chase, then they dived, they kept in a steep dive without slowing in the slightest it really looked like they had every intention of crashing head first into the ground. The Slytherin seeker pulled up to prevent crashing but Harry kept to his dive, it was so steep that his broom was nearly vertical. Did he have a death wish?

Then quickly just the moment before he crashed he flattened out, zooming so low that he could have stepped off of his broom. He reached his hand out to make a grab at the fluttering golden ball. He leaned as far forward as he could and still it was just out of his reach, he leaned further and he went head first off of his broom. Draco rolled his eyes, the boy could stick on when it was bucking like a mule but fell when he was less than a meter off the ground.

He stood up, holding his hand to his mouth for a moment when he spat something up. Harry held it up for them all to see, Harry held up the snitch, and the school cheered they didn't care who had just won or lost, all that mattered was that Harry Potter was an amazing flyer.

That night at dinner he saw Harry writing a letter at his table, his familiar was impatiently sitting on his shoulder. Then she swiveled her head to look directly at him.

Her large golden eyes seemed to be boring into his soul. Draco blinked and she had turned her head back to Harry. Given how she acted he wouldn't be surprised if she was reading it over his shoulder.

It was rather amusing, as the whole of the house of lions celebrated their little champion sat with his familiar writing a letter to someone only he knew.

_Tom_

_I had my first Quidditch (A/N I finally found how to spell it) match. My team won but somebody put a hex on my broom I was about a hundred feet up and my broom started to buck. Ron and Hermione told me they did something about it later but I really thought I was going to fall. It was terrifying but it was fun at the same time. Its really strange I knew if I fell I could have died but it was also exciting. (A/N: uhoh Harry has found an adrenaline rush. o.o Tom's gonna be mad.)_

_I caught the snich though, after my broom was put right I made a dive for it the other team's seeker did too we ended up getting really close to the ground the other team's seeker pulled up but I kept going when I evened out my feet could have touched the ground. I made a grab for the snitch and I started to tumble off my broom, I almost swallowed the snitch! It went into my mouth as I was falling, apparently it counted though._

_Harry_

_P.S_

_Do you know anything about someone named Nickolas Flemel?_

_By the way there is a funny picture enclosed too._

With that he handed his finished letter to Hedwig, she nibbled his fingers affectionately before spreading her wings and left him alone with his house.

Hedwig found Tom wandering a corridor when she arrived. She hooted disapprovingly.

"I'm not doing anything wrong." Tom told her. She looked at him sternly as if saying 'of coarse you aren't.'

"how did you find me here anyway?" Tom asked rhetorically he really didn't expect an answer from a bird even one as smart as she acted. But she fluttered her wings in an imitation of a shrug. She then offered her leg with Harry's letter attached to it. Tom took the letter and read it with the dim light of the corridor. After reaching the end of the letter he was scowling he pulled the mentioned picture from the envelope as well and looked at it. It was a wizarding photo of Hedwig sleeping on a desk chair back, whoever was holding the camera, most likely Harry, poked her with their wand. She then woke up in a flurry of feathers tipping the chair over, with the chair on the ground she acted as though nothing had happened at all.

"so you can be clumsy." Hedwig glared at him indignantly. Tom only laughed and stroked her head.

"you should help keep Harry out of trouble. It seems she gets into it without even trying." Hedwig gave a look that said 'you have no idea.'

* * *

><p>Christmas day had come to Hogwarts, it was just Ron and Harry in the tower. All the others had gone to their various homes for the break. Harry for his first Christmas ever was snuggled in a warm bed. He was safe and content for the first time on a Christmas morning, he would send Hedwig to Tom after he got up for now he was enjoying this.<p>

Suddenly the door to the boys' dormitory burst open. The door slammed into the wall but magic prevented either from being damaged. Unfortunately that said nothing for Harry who was now startled into full lucidity.

"come on Harry what are you still in bed for there are presents to open." Ron called to him. For a moment he was just stunned. He had presents? How? The only one who would ever give him a present was Tom and he had no money to do so. How could he have presents? Unless he didn't and Ron was only excited about his own, that could make sense Dudley was always thrilled with his presents.

"come on Harry don't you want to open your presents?"

"I have presents?" Ron looked at him oddly. Of coarse the boy would have presents, everybody gets presents on Christmas even the he and his brothers did and they were all rather poor. He shrugged it off.

"yeah now come on."

Ron led Harry down to the common room with all the flourish of… well a child at Christmas. He began to tear into his own presents from his parents and family. He only noticed after a little while that Harry was just staring at his own.

"what aren't you going to open them? Or are your relatives like Fred and George giving gag gifts?" Ron's comment made Harry stiffen slightly, he knew now that the way the Dureslys had treated him was wrong but how could he tell Ron that, no one but Tom knew about it.

"no its not that they just don't like gifting things. They think it's a bit pointless, so they have only given me useful things." Harry struggled not to roll his eyes at his own lie, lying made him feel guilty. He was sure Tom would have glared at him for such a bad one. But none the less Ron seemed to buy it even going so far as to mutter about him getting more presents this year because of it being the first one away from home.

Harry thought about the only presents the Dursleys had given him and he sighed inside. Uncle Vernon's socks and a hanger were hardly intended to be useful. Though he had used the hanger to add length to the pull cord of his cupboard. Not that it really did anything as the light in there had not functioned in many years.

Harry turned back to his small pile of presents, there were two rather lumpy packages, a box from Hagrid, one from the Dursleys…how did they send that? Harry looked at the small box from the Dursleys in confusion he knew perfectly well that they would never use owl post. Shrugging he sat down and grabbed the small box.

Ron looked over at Harry who had just fell to the floor cross legged, from inside the box he had been holding he pulled an odd little object.

"What's that?" he asked through a mouth of Christmas candy. Harry didn't even have the tact to acknowledge him by looking up! He simply muttered 'muggle money' and set the object aside. What were his relatives not sending good enough gifts? Maybe it was a gag gift after all seeing as there was no use for muggle money in the wizarding world.

Ron studied him for a moment, why was he acting so weird? He was way to quiet for Christmas. He smiled a bit when he opened a flute from Hagrid and a sweater from his own mum. Ron felt a little envious at the handsome green sweater. But it wasn't till Hedwig landed beside him with a set of letters attached to her leg that he really smiled like he should. Ron was always frustrated when Harry got those letters, he treated that Tom bloke like _he _was Harry's best friend. How can you be best friends with someone who you've never met?

Harry petted Hedwig for a while. He examined the letters she had brought him. He hadn't sent her to Tom so why would she have gone on her own? But one of the letters she had brought wasn't from Tom. In fact he didn't recognize the handwriting on it at all. Curiously he picked it up and opened it.

_Greetings Harry,_

_I am Abraxaus, an acquaintance of Tom's. I believe, as I have been taught to be a proper gentleman, that every beautiful lady deserves a picture of her suitor. So here I send you a picture of your dear Tom._

Harry's brow twitched at Tom's friend's mocking, he stared at the few pictures that had been enclosed in the envelope. He had never felt the need to see what his friend looked like before. Tom's words meant more than any appearance. But he had to admit it did feel nice to have a face to match his friends caring words to.

The pictures Abraxaus sent were simple. One was of a pale dark haired boy sleeping peaceably. Another was of the same boy sitting on his bed doing what seemed to be homework. The last of them was of him sitting at what seemed to be their dinning hall with Hedwig perched on the table in front of him as he penned a letter.

Harry smiled at the pictures and then turned to Tom's letter.

_Happy Christmas Harry _

_It's a rather nostalgic thought that this is our first in the wizarding world. I am sorry that I have no gift to give you though. It seems that no matter what world we belong to some things stay the same._

_At least you may have a good Christmas in your castle. Whoever planned ours was not thinking very well I believe. Our dormitories are in the dungeons so it quite cold right now. I have been researching warming charms but none of them seem to last very long at all._

_Tom_

Harry carefully penned out his response to his friend

_Happy Christmas and Happy almost birthday Tom!_

_You never need to get me a gift, you are my best friend in the world. The best gift ever was given when I was seven. But I might have solution to a few of your problems._

_Hermione me and Ron were carrying around portable flames in a glass jar, if that would help you could try doing the same on a larger scale._

_The package attached to my letter is your Christmas/birthday present. Don't you even dare pay me back for it. I know if you could get me a present you would but like I said I don't need you to so long as I still have you I'm happy._

_Harry_

_P.S. Your friend Abraxaus sent me pictures of you can you tell him thank you for me. I had never thought to ask for some of you before. Its nice knowing what you look like._

Harry closed up his letter and after leaving and returning to the common room he tied a box to Hedwig's leg. Then he handed her his letter.

"that's for Tom okay." Hedwig gave him a look that said 'don't you think I know.'

"alright just making sure." Harry petted her head before she took off.

He then turned to his last pakage. He pulled a note off of the wrappings and read it.

_Your father left this to me before he died, I believe it is time it was returned to you._

_Use it well._

_A friend._

He let the paper drop from his gift, it was soft and felt like woven water.

"what is it?" Harry held it up for Ron to see. At first all Ron could see was that it was some nice cloak. But after Harry tried it on he felt his jaw drop. He _knew_ what that was, but he would have never been allowed to touch one much less see one. It was an invisibility cloak.

'_Tom would have a field day about this.' _ Harry thought as he held the rare object in his hands.

* * *

><p>Tom and Abraxaus had come to the great hall for lunch only to be quite surprised, they had both missed breakfast that day. The long house tables were all pushed to the back of the room leaving only one table present with food. Very few teachers and students had stayed for the holidays so the tables weren't necessary.<p>

Tom like at every other meal sat silently, keeping to himself while others enjoyed their festivities. As he was eating a screech overhead was heard. He looked up and saw Hedwig who a moment latter landed gracefully onto the table. She held her leg out with a letter and box attached to it. Tom untied both and opened Harry's letter. He paid no mind to the fact that a pair of crystalline blue eyes were carefully watching him.

After reading her letter, a light blush barely visible on his face, Tom sighed and turned to Abraxaus.

"Harry sends her thanks to you." As much as it pained him to do so Harry had asked it of him.

For a moment Abraxaus seemed stuned to find him speaking but then he smiled graciously and nodded.

Tom opened the box, he wished he could have gotten Harry a gift, it would have pleased her. He knew that she never got gifts before, after all the only gift he could send her was a letter.

To read that his letters pleased her the most was somewhat uplifting.

Inside the box she had sent was, a half dozen chocolate frogs, one box of ice mice, a change purse with a rather decent amount of money inside, and a handsome black leather bound diary.

He opened the diary and inside he found a small note from Harry.

'_I know you cant tell me everything that happens. But maybe this will help. Then you could write whatever is going on even if you cant send it with Hedwig._

_Merry Christmas Tom_

_Love Harry._

"Late presents Tom?"

"Not at all professor. It was simply from a friend." Tom stated evenly, he knew the old man was fishing for something. Dumbledore hated him, he would not hand him Harry. She was too important.

* * *

><p>Harry wandered the halls of the castle. He knew he shouldn't, he really did and he knew Tom would worry but truly he couldn't help it there was just something about it, like when he rode a broomstick. When he saw this side of the castle, the silence and vastness of it all, it really felt magical. When he wandered he felt free.<p>

But his freedom wasn't what he was here for this time, he knew Nickolas Flamel was somewhere in the library. But they had already exhausted all the books that were available without a pass. But now with the cloak he could check the restricted section without getting in trouble. He just wouldn't tell Tom about it so the other boy wouldn't have to worry.

As Harry slipped through the restricted section he felt as though he was being watched, the books all had an eiry feel to them as if they knew he was not meant to be there.

'_I wonder if they really do know?_' the thought hovered in his mind as he picked up a book. Like all the others it had no name on it's spine and it was chained to the shelf.

When he opened the book it let loose an ear splitting scream. The sound echoed through the vastness of the empty library. As the sound settled he could hear footsteps rushing towards him and from his distance he could hear what sounded like Filch the care taker mumbling.

He quickly put the book back and ran holding his invisibility cloak close around his body to keep from being seen. He slipped out of the room and bolted silently down a corridor. Eventually he slowed as he had gotten far enough away from the library to be unnoticed. Even with the cloak he didn't know if he was completely safe.

His wanderings had led him to a room, a room that was completely empty but for a large mirror. He looked into the mirror there were people standing behind him. Harry turned and looked behind him but he saw no one. He stared at the mirror, over his shoulder was a woman with red hair an bright green eyes and at her side a man with wild black hair and glasses. Realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Mum? Dad?" he looked at the two in the mirror, they nodded at him. He studied the crowd behind them, there were men and women all with little pieces of himself visible in them. Then there in the background he saw Tom.

He was standing with a smirk on his face like Harry always imagined his friend to. He walked up to him in between his parents and hugged him, holding him close, protecting him like he always said he would. James and Lilly hugged him next holding him like he had never been as a child. A tear rolled down his face. They were here with him.

Night after night he returned to see his family and his friend. It was almost like an addiction. He hadn't written the real Tom in days while his mind was constantly filled with thoughts of his loved ones.

He took Ron to see the mirror but found himself confused when he saw none of them.

Finally one night the headmaster was there waiting for him. And with that he learned what it was the mirror did. In that brief moment he was terrified, he had nearly abandoned his friend for a fantasy.

After that encounter he wrote Tom.

_Tom,_

_I found the most amazing thing. It's a mirror I didn't know what it was when I first saw it, it was huge, at least tree meters tall. There was writing all over it but over the top there were words with English letters Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi is what they said. But the mirror it showed my parents! I came back to it night after night, I couldn't resist really I couldn't I wanted to see them more than anything._

_One night when I came back the headmaster was there, he said that it was called the mirror of Erised, the mirror of desire. Its words at the top weren't another language it was the mirror of what it really said. 'I show not your face but your hearts desire.'_

_I researched it after the headmaster told me what it was, the thing has been popping up all through history. Even the muggle fairy tale Snow White has a reference to it. Its really incredible. _

_But the headmaster told me something else about it too. He said that it has driven men mad, that they've wasted away looking into it. I can understand why. It shows you the one thing you want more than anything else in the whole world but it will never give it to you._

_The headmaster told me not to look for it again he said that it was going to be moved soon. I guess that is for the best._

_I hope you enjoyed your Christmas and maybe your birthday too. I know you don't like your birthday but I like that day, it was the day my best friend was born._

_Happy belated birthday Tom_

_Harry_

Little did Harry know he was being watched ever so carefully.

Dumbledore studied his student from the end of the table he interacted normally and acted every part the Gryffindor he was supposed to but something was always off with his behavior. He was cautious when he shouldn't be, he was far more sneaky than he should be. In fact most of his Gryffindor behavior seemed to be slightly forced.

When he had confronted Harry at the mirror he had seen in the young man's eyes what the mirror showed him. Tom Riddle was in the boy's desires. It was a frightening concept that Albus himself was afraid to grasp. The friend Harry had been writing all year was Tom Riddle as a child, the boy who became the Dark Lord. It could spell disaster should either of them find out. He knew Tom would return one day. And when that day came Harry would fight and be the beacon of light for their cause.

'_their knowing must be prevented at all costs.'_

* * *

><p>For the first time in days Tom looked up from his breakfast and saw Hedwig swoop into the great hall. He had begun to worry that something had happened to Harry that caused her be unable to write him. For some reason or another Hedwig looked to be relieved about something. Perhaps something had happened to her?<p>

After taking the letter from Hedwig's leg he quickly read through it. He felt relieved that Harry was ok but he was rather irked that she had seemingly forgotten about him for a week.

_Harry,_

_You shouldn't wander out after hours I believe I have said this many times before yet you still ignore that warning. My friend you attract trouble. I wish to know exactly why it is that this artifact seemingly made you forget about reality. Something of that nature seems to be dangerous in its seemingly harmless purpose. If it can compel one to loose touch with reality even for a moment by what it shows then it worries me that you were able to encounter it in your school. _

_Your headmaster is correct you should not go looking for that thing ever again._

_Tom_

As Hedwig flew away Tom frowned there was something very wrong with the things that kept happening around Harry. He knew Harry had a sense for when danger came knocking but he could feel it too and he felt like all of it was just the beginning, he felt like something terrible was going to happen to his friend and soon.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_I know I shouldn't wander but it helps me. _

_I know I attract trouble; it just seems to follow me. I can feel it coming, things are going to get a lot worse soon._

_The thing with the mirror was actually really scary when I realized what had happened. I felt horrible about it my headmaster was right it doenst do to dwell in dreams. I was so happy about seeing my family that I never even realized I hadn't wrote to you. Hedwig had been looking at me like she was really worried all that week._

_But you know I saw something else in the mirror too. I saw you there Tom, you were just there. I hugged you and you were smirking like you think you are the cleverest boy in the world, you were there Tom protecting me like you said you would. I don't know which part was more drawing really. The idea of seeing my family who I had never met love me or seeing my best friend. When we are all grown up I don't think I would mind having you as a flat mate. I think I would rather enjoy that. You would finally be away from the orphanage and I would be away from my relatives. When we were little and you said you would protect me I guess it stuck considering the way that mirror is supposed to work. I like how much you look after me, and care. You being my friend means the world to me Tom._

_Everyone else came back from break yesterday classes will all start back here soon. But I found out who Nickolas Flamel is._

_Nickolas Flamel is a famous alchemist who with the help of Albus Dumbledore found the 12 uses for Dragons blood and is the only known maker of the philosopher's stone._

_The philosopher's stone can make the elixir of life, which makes the drinker immortal_

_It also can turn any metal into pure gold._

_Its no wonder we couldn't find mention of him in famous wizards of the twentieth century. He's over six hundred years old!_

_I'm still sorry about forgetting about you Tom, I really am. You are my best friend, if it makes you feel any better, talking to you is a million times better than the you in the mirror. You know why?_

_Because you are real. Just because you aren't here doesn't make you mean any less to me, it just means that I have to wait for my real hug._

_Harry_

Tom read Harry's newest letter quite happily. The mirror was moved and she still wanted him. He had been so angry at the idea of being forgotten by her. Harry was the only one who mattered, only her and his plans had any meaning at all.

Harry always knew him so well, she knew what he was thinking even without it being specifically stated. She always seemed to know what would pacify his ire, or even prevent it all together. Very few people if any at all knew him so well as she did. Her comment about sharing a flat together was a rather appealing one, if that happened then he could have her close all the time. She would be kept safe.

Tom had smiled when Harry had so proudly written that she now knew who Nickolas Flamel was. Tom himself had found the man's name only a week and a half after she had asked him to look for it. But he had wanted to see how long it would take her to find the man. He had decided that if she asked him again he would tell her.

But he supposed that finding the man when one knew nothing but his name was considerably harder than sweet talking a librarian into telling what subject to look under. Actually considering the fact that she didn't even know what subject to look under Tom found himself being quite impressed, most likely it had been blind luck that found her answers.

A philosopher's stone was an interesting object, but it was something Tom himself could see little use in. it's entire purpose was far too materialistic. The stone's 'immortality' was more of an addiction than anything making the user completely dependent on it.

Tom had quickly found that the ideas behind alchemy were far more interesting than the product. In his studies he found that the end products of alchemists were so narrow minded. The different thinking pattern necessary for alchemy was intriguing. He found that it's basis was in arithmancy and runes, upon further investigation he did find that Hogwarts had classes on both subjects. Unfortunately they were only offered to third years and above.

'_what a waste.'_ He thought as he reminisced his research. He reached for a quill.

_Harry,_

_I am pleased that you were not intentional in forgetting about me. Don't worry as long as you want me I am going to be here for you. And even if you don't I will still care for you._

_I have no way to sooth your fear of the past. The only words I can offer for it is that it is over, it is gone. You cant change it and you shouldn't let it change you. You have a beautiful mind and a good heart Harry, don't be afraid._

_I find it rather flattering that you would see me in that mirror as well. But I still believe that it is for the best that it was moved. A dream that could trap your mind is not a good one. One day we will meet my friend. Then you may have your hug, I don't particularly care for hugging but for you I may make an exception. You are a wonderful friend to have Harry. _

_Tom_

_P.S. I give you congratulations on finding Flamel, I am simply going to assume that it took you so long because you didn't ask anyone where to look for him._

Tom smirked somewhat as he handed Hedwig the letter, she nuzzled his hand as if she was congratulating him or thanking him. It was so difficult to tell with a bird sometimes. She flew off with the letter after that, swiftly carrying it to her master.

Hedwig landed softly on Harry's shoulder and offered the letter to her young master. His suitor was so good for him, always fixing the problems and trouble her master got into.

She watched with her large golden eyes as a smile bloomed on her master's face.

"you are a beautiful and amazing bird you know that Hed." Of coarse she knew she was amazing. But such flatterous complements would never be turned away. After all many times they were accompanied by food.

"sorry Hedwig I don't have any food on me right now." How disappointing, oh well her master was happy again that should be reward enough.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_I hate baby dragons I really do. But apparently Norwegian Ridgebacks speak snake or in this case baby talk snake. It would have been cute if it didn't have poisonous fangs too. Those got Ron on the leg. I kind of wonder what the school nurse thinks. We told her that he got bit by a dog, I really think that he should have lied better not that I can do much better myself. The bite is kind of purple now and it looks nothing like a dogs bite. I should know, remember Aunt Marge's bulldogs?_

_We contacted Ron's brother oldest brother and he sent some friends to pick up the little monster. Why in the world did they have to meet us at the top of the astronomy tower why not somewhere we could have hidden like behind the gamekeeper's hut. _

_Anyway because of their choice of meeting spot me and Hermione had nowhere to hide when the care taker showed up. My house mates are going to kill me in the morning when they find out how many points I just lost them. I lost all the points that we got in the Quidditch match. I'd rather disappear than face all of them. But I cant I left my invisibility cloak in the tower. Thus how we got caught in the first place. That and Draco sold us out, he saw the baby dragon through a window and… well yeah. Now we all have detention._

_Wish me luck._

_Harry _

Tom felt his brow twitch in disbelief. _'a dragon?'_ he shook his head, Harry must be joking he thought. But then he realized with her luck it was entirely possible. Why was he just hearing about this now? The creature must have at been a few weeks old at least.

_Harry,_

_why the hell was there a baby dragon in your school? Those are very illegal. If you had been caught with it being expelled would have been the least of your worries. Thank god it's gone now. I am sorry you have detention but at least you weren't hurt this time. As for your friend getting bitten I am afraid all I can say to that is better him than you._

_And yes Norwegian Ridgebacks are poisonous. _

_I know you are fond of him but I can not say the same, how can I when all he seems to do is promote you going into dangerous situations. I can tolerate your friend Hermione, her nagging as you called it should at least keep the consequences in mind. Hopefully knowing what could happen will make you take safety precautions. _

_On another note why didn't you tell me about this thing before now? Why do feel the need to keep things from me? You can always tell me anything Harry._

_Tom_

Harry made a face at Tom's letter while Hedwig looked at him exasperatedly. '_he's right you know.'_ Her look said.

"oh hush you."

* * *

><p><em>Hi Tom,<em>

_Don't be so angry at Ron, it wasn't his idea this time. I thought of his brother, we had to get rid of the little horror somehow, and he was a baby if we contacted someone at the ministry we'd all be in trouble and the baby dragon would have been executed. I had to do something. On a brighter note Draco has detention with us for being out of bed._

Tom sighed at his friend's thoughts, she really did care too much about others. But at least she had no issue with karma coming back around to her 'issues'. If she did he didn't think they would get along nearly as well as they did considering Tom himself was nearly an agent of karma.

_I don't mean to keep things from you Tom but I don't want you to worry about me. Don't get me wrong I like that you care I really do but I don't want you to worry, it always makes me feel guilty when I worry you._

_Sorry Tom._

_Harry_

Of coarse she didn't, if she were anyone else he would have assumed that she was simply trying to get out of being scolded. But no it was Harry, his friend, his only companion, the only one he needed. She felt safer being scolded than being given a complement.

_Harry,_

_Don't bother feeling guilty, I will worry about what you do whether you tell me what is happening or not so you might as well just tell me so I only worry as much as the situation warrants. I will never stop caring about you Harry. You are precious to me my friend, it is only right that I worry for you, especially given the situations you manage to get into. _

_Tom_

Harry blushed lightly at the reminder of how much trouble followed him. When he stopped to think about it it was really quite a lot. And he hadn't even completed his first year

"well wish me luck Hed, it's time for my detention." Hedwig gently hooted in response.

* * *

><p>My master sleeps within me now. He is a great man and a great man he will be again. It is but my duty to care for him while he is weakened. What a great honor he bestowed upon me.<p>

He found me on my travels, my master needed me and I offered my aid to him. He rests often leaving me to carry out his plans but I must improvise. He never knew about the Potter boy's Quidditch match. It is my duty to remove an obstacle from my master's path. He was displeased with my failures to get the stone and for one reason or another he is displeased with my hunt of the unicorns. I don't understand what he wants of me, he told me that their blood would keep us alive. But still it sparks his ire. Oh my master's ire is a painful thing to gain. I am thankful that he rests as often as he does.

But still I worry my master is so exhausted from his ordeal those many years ago. When he rests sometimes I can see his dreams, there is a woman there, the same woman he had seen in the mirror.

She frightens my master, but he seems to love her as well. In my master's dream I can see her sometimes holding a man she calls Tom. Given her appearance I would assume that she is among the dead. I wonder who she was this woman who can cause my master to fear and love.

Tonight I hunt the unicorns again. I must keep my master and I alive until I can drink from the stone. Then I will have power and my master will return and he will reward me.

As I drink from the creature I hear a gasp come from behind me. I turn to find Potter staring at me in horror. I must look like some kind of monster to the boy. How pitiful. I will settle what I started and gain my master's favor in destroying his enemy.

As I step towards the boy a centaur comes barreling into the clearing.

The centaur charged at me his hooves are strong and manage to strike me before I back away. Master will be angry at me for this failure.

_Tom,_

_There's something bad hiding here. I don't know what it was but it is killing the unicorns of the forest around the school grounds. We had our detention there. But I don't know why. We were told at the beginning of the year that students aren't allowed there. I'm really beginning to worry Tom things just seem to be getting worse and it feels like something worse is out there still._

_Harry_

As Tom read Harry's letter he couldn't help but feel she was right. There was something very strange going on in her school. Everything she keeps finding felt like it was planned for being found. It was all so spectacularly done. Whatever was playing was leading Harry into danger for a reason. It wanted her to see all those things. The mirror, the troll, a baby dragon, and now a monster slaying unicorns, it all felt too orchestrated to bode well for her.

* * *

><p>While Harry was put through trail after trial and faced nightmarish monsters throughout her school year Tom's was mostly peaceful.<p>

His hardships didn't come from monsters to be faced. They came from the other children. While some like Abraxaus were more polite about dealing with him, others such as Avery were far more common.

The older years were too composed to sink to verbally assaulting him, instead they would sneer down their noses at him like one would a particularly stupid dog. his own year was not so kind, they sneered at him, mocked him and made many a degrading remark.

Then there was Alephard Black. Whom not a single Slytherin knew what to make of. He was a tall aristocratic boy, a pureblooded Black, he never did a single thing that was expected of him. He kept trying to talk to Tom all the time, making a nuisance of himself. He would purposely come over and sit with Tom even though he had made it very clear that he didn't like anyone. Tom had no interest in making friends, the only one he needed, the only one he would ever need, was Harry. As long as he had her no one else would ever matter. They would sneer and insult him and he would merely get even.

After learning what his house mates considered him he began looking up spells. A great many of them were merely defensive for protecting his person and his belongings. But some, an increasing number, were meant for getting even or 'influencing'. The best part of all his new spells was that not a one of them was in a book ranked below fourth year. No one would ever expect a first year to not only know them but to be capable of using them. His favorites were the ones that prevented others from knowing what he did.

After Avery's incident on Halloween many became more weary of him with Avery's cautious looks being aimed his way they gathered who had tormented him. None of them could prove that he was the one who had done it but they were all Slytherins for a reason, they were observant.

Given Dumbledore's reaction to his gift of conversing with snakes he didn't share his most prized ability with his year mates, there was no need to add anymore fuel to the fire his presence had set.

In his classes none of the teachers could say an ill word about him. He was skilled in all of them and the few he wasn't he became so. The only teacher who never praised his abilities was Dumbledore. The old man didn't like him in the slightest, that burn was only worsened by the fact he would blatantly lie to everyone's faces about it. Dumbledore showed absolute favoritism to his own Gryffindor house while he hardly ever awarded any Slytherin points. And while Tom could answer every question he ask correctly the aged transfiguration professor never gave him a single point.

After he had gotten into researching better protections for his trunk Hogwarts became terribly dull. After practicing so many advanced spells the first year material was beyond easy for him. The truth was that Harry's letters were the only bright part to break up the monotony. Her little quirks gave him ideas of what to look up and those ventures would keep him occupied for a time. Harry really had no idea how wonderful she was for him.

Tom was quite sure that without Harry he would have been board to tears. He didn't socialize like others and he had no interest in any sport. So he had far to much spare time even after allotting time for doing his homework. He wrote all of his findings and opinions on them in the little journal that Harry had given him. He had magically expanded the pages so that even though it was still small the pages would never run out. It would always look like he had barely started writing a few pages in when he had volumes of notes and scribbles detailed in it.

When she mentioned playing Quidditch Tom had briefly looked up the sport, but as it involved broomsticks, which seemed to have a mind of their own when it came to him, he decided against it. In their flying class Tom had discovered that brooms had personalities and most of them really hated his. This would lead to the broom he was on bucking and swaying and all around trying to dislodge him. When he finally rolled on the ground he decided that flying was not for him.

When Harry had first told him about the troll he looked them up. He had found a plethora of information about them most of it all saying the same thing though. Trolls were big stupid and dangerous, and they shouldn't be approached. For a first year girl to have faced one and stunned it spoke volumes about his Harry.

After she mentioned Nickolas Flamel he looked up the alchemist. And found far more interesting things from that.

When Harry had finally contacted him after the mirror incident he researched the mentioned mirror in depth hoping that there were no ill side effects from it for his friend. After finding none he was relieved.

The baby dragon had irked him, but diligently he looked up the creature. He didn't particularly care for dragons after reading what the library had to offer. They all seemed like far to much work for minimal results. But he had written Harry and told her of his findings just the same.

And now the creature in her forest, Tom was at a loss for what to do. Nothing he found was either clever enough or quick enough to catch and kill a unicorn. What ever it was Harry saw that night was truly terrifying. If it could hunt down a unicorn and kill it for its cursed blood then it could very easily have hunted down a little girl. No matter how fast Harry was a human would never have had a chance against that beast. He was thankful that the centaur had saved her as it had.

There were many times when Tom wished he could be with Harry on her adventures if for no other reason than to keep her safe. But that would also mean that something interesting was happening so all the more reason. If he was with Harry he didn't think there would ever be a dull moment. Six years was a long wait to have until he could finally meet his friend. But he knew that the best thing in the world was one that was well anticipated, he couldn't wait till he could finally meet his friend fact to face.

In the end it would all be worth it.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_There is something very wrong. You are right about that it all feels like it is connected to one another. Whatever this is please don't go chasing it._

_Stay safe._

_Tom_

Harry thought about what Tom had said. He was right it was all connected it was too much of a coincidence. _'oh no'_ realization struck him and with that he ran to find Hagrid.

Now this was a proper adventure, Harry was finally acting like the boy who lived. Ron had worried that all those grand adventures he had pictured wouldn't be real when he had first met Harry. When he had first saw him he didn't even realize who he was until he said his first name.

At first all he had seen was a rather tiny girlish boy with big glasses and huge green eyes. He looked like a stiff wind could of blown him over. Then he showed him his scar, Ron was sold right then Harry was the real deal and they would have awesome adventures.

But as they year had gone on they really didn't have anything cool of coarse he thought maybe Harry was just shy and needed a little help. So he volunteered him for a lot of things. After all how could he not have wanted to show Malfoy up, he was a slimy Slytherin.

When Harry had been wandering out after hours Ron had brushed it off as part of his Boy-Who-Lived-ness. Then when he had brought them to that mirror he was impressed. Harry had found a mirror that showed him everything he ever wanted, but then he had to go and feel sorry for himself and say that it couldn't show the future because his parents were dead. Even Ron had felt bad right then. But honestly why would someone go and say something like that when they find something so amazing. It was such a mood killer.

But now they were finally going on their big adventure

The three of them went through the trap door after landing of a squishy plant Ron found himself thinking '_that wasn't so bad_'. Then Hermione mentioned what that plant was. Ron began to panic he didn't want to die as plant food!

The Devil's Snare began to constrict itself around him and pull tightly. He could hear Hermione ranting below him something about not having any wood for fire. What a stupid thing to say at a time like this he was going to be killed.

"ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"

"Oh right." Was mumbled beneath him. With that a bright light filled the room and he came crashing down to the floor below them.

They walked down a corridor a ways before they heard a strange fluttering sound. In a open circular room was a swarm of thousands of shiny birds lazily flying along. But they weren't birds at all they were thousands of keys with one to the locked door.

* * *

><p>Harry looked at the old brooms hovering in the corner,<em> 'its too easy theres something wrong.'<em> His voice of reason chimed in his mind. Oddly enough his voice of reason sounded suspiciously like he imagined Tom would. He mounted the broom and discovered his voice of reason was very correct. There was indeed far more to this task than it seemed.

Hermione watched Harry soar through the arches. This was Harry's element, all those dangerous things he did in Quidditch prepared him for this. Harry was like a bird, he wasn't meant to be caged. Harry flew like he belonged up there. Even on the ancient broom he was using he still had a level of grace that was unbelievable.

"Catch." He shouted as he tossed the winged key to her. She quickly unlocked the door and pulled Ron through it before harry zoomed through it and she pulled it closed behind him. Hermione was rather thankful that she had as many of them stuck to the door like throwing knives.

Ron felt awe and pride settle in his belly as he saw what the next chamber held. It was like a dream, a giant chess board made up the room and the only way across was to play. He was the only one that could do this neither Harry nor Hermione could play chess

He was having fun and having an amazing adventure, the only thing he had to keep reminding himself was that Harry and Hermione were real people not his chess pieces. He wasn't use to playing with restrictions like that but it would be better in the end.

Ron considered his move carefully and found that there was no other way to win. His knight would have to be sacrificed to win. As long as he still won it didn't matter. They would have o go on without him. With that he moved his piece to before the queen, then she rose up and struck him down. That was the last he knew.

* * *

><p>Hermione gently moved Ron so that he wasn't laying on anything damaged. Then she stood and followed Harry out of the room.<p>

The moment they stepped into the next room a wall of fire rose up blocking the entrance and the exit. She hurriedly looked around the room for anything that could indicate what the test was. The only thing in the room was a long table with seven glass bottles standing in a line.

On the table was a single poem. It was a riddle to find the right potion.

After carefully reading the poem she found the two potions that could send them forward or send them back but there was not enough to send them both. Only one of them could go on. It had to be Harry.

After a moment of bonding Harry finally agreed to drink the potion. But not before giving her a mission. After he left she was to go back for Ron and send for Dumbledore.

Hermione watched her friend step though the flames. He was kind and sweet and sometimes she couldn't help but feel that his heart was too big for this world. Harry had a kind of innocence to him that she couldn't understand. It was also dangerous, she could see that, Harry didn't understand light and dark, but his morals made up for it most of the time. But if the dark lord surrendered then Harry wouldn't even try to stop him. Harry would protect his worst enemy if they were defenseless.

Hermione was scared as she almost prayed the dark lord would fight back. But if he did then Harry might die. She couldn't think of which would be worse her friend gone or the dark lord rising again.

"Please be safe Harry." She whispered before drinking from the potion that would allow her to go back.

* * *

><p>He could not look into that mirror, not again. He knew he would see <em>her <em>there he could not get the stone himself. Quarill was as incapable as he if not even more so, apparently he believed that he would be the one to gain power if he drank from the stone. In truth Voldemort knew that the stone was an addiction, he knew that it would be of little use to him if he were to use it for its intended purpose. Luckily that is not how he intended to use it.

The stone would give his host's body enough physical strength that he could possess it completely without it burning out as it was already starting to do. Using it as an energy source he could use one of his horcruxes to revive with.

"You." his host turned around at the sound of a voice only to see Potter standing in the entry way to the chamber. Perhaps he could be of use instead.

Quarill demanded Harry to look into the mirror.

Harry did as the man said, looking into the mirror he saw Tom leaning against it's frame smirking as he tossed the stone up and down in his hand. Harry's reflection hugged him and in Harry's ear he whispered something.

And he slipped the stone into Harry's pocket. Harry's reflection self turned back to him and put his finger to his lips as if saying '_don't tell. It's a secret.'_

"What do you see Potter?"

'_I need to lie.'_ "I… I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore. I've won the house cup."

* * *

><p>'<em>Stupid boy. Foolish boy. Stand aside and give me what I need.'<em> Voldemort thought as the boy badly lied to his host. From his host's eyes he could see a soft blush coating the boy's cheeks. The dark lord didn't particularly care to know what the boy had actually seen in the mirror. All that truly mattered was that he had lied. It was really too bad that he couldn't use his host's eyes to perform legimancy on the boy, then he might learn what was needed.

Perhaps if the boy joined him he would have no reason to kill the one who looked so like her. He had no use for a child in his cause but if it would prevent a death that would remind him of her then he would allow it.

"Let me speak to him."

"Master you are not strong enough." Quarill's voice quivered slightly. It annoyed him to no end how brazen yet cowardly this man could be.

"I have enough strength for this."

Voldemort didn't have the strength to perform a deep legimency but he had just enough for a simple surface scanning. While the boy's face gave the appearance of a calm his mind showed fear. He could see his own distorted face through the boy's eyes. He softly spoke to the boy, even though his voice came out as a rasp, as one would a child. He could see an image of the boy's parents standing in the mirror in his surface thoughts. He carefully manipulated that, with words of seeing them again and soft reassurances of the boy's power. _'if only the dead could walk with the living. If only.' _ He thought to himself as he saw his Harry standing in the mirror.

Harry looked into the mirror behind Quarill, in its surface he could only see his parents this time their faces disappointed and no Tom with in sight.

"NO!" the boy yelled as a response to his softly spoken demand. He was foolish.

'_foolish like his mother before him.' _ He told his host to get the boy, to get what he desired. _'oh but its really not.' _ He glanced again to the mirror where his Harry was.

Voldemort was stunned as his host's hand that had made contact with the boy turned to ash. The pain it caused was unbelievable but it was nothing compared to what he experienced for the last ten years. He told his host to fight though it, to get the boy. He knew that the boy was the key to getting the stone somehow.

Instead of using his wand and hexing the boy the fool tried to grab him again, this time losing his wand hand as well. This body was doomed now. He pulled together his own energy and Quarill's life energy and forced himself from the husk. Quarill made one last lunge towards the boy but all the life energy that had protected his form, from keeping the burning from spreading, was gone. It was gone with his master who had fled his body and only hovered to see it turn to ash.

The boy only remained upright for a few more seconds before he fell to the stone floor.

* * *

><p>Ron and Hermione had just returned to the Gryffindor common room when they were assaulted.<p>

"Blimey what do you think Harry's owl is after?" Hedwig was swooping down upon the pair of them batting her wings harshly leaving bruises on their arms as they tried to shield themselves from her.

"Honestly, she's worried about Harry. I imagine she thinks we are why he got hurt."

"How do you figure that? Its just a bird." Hedwig swooped onto Ron's shoulder and roughly bit his ear.

"AHH! What is wrong with that ruddy bird?" Ron held his hand to his now bleeding ear.

"I think she's clever." Hermione stated as Hedwig settled herself on the back of one of the common room's cushioned chairs.

"she's creepy, all knowing and that rot. We didn't do anything to Harry." Ron griped and Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment.

"oh! Of coarse, Harry has a friend that he writes to. His friend wouldn't know he's been hurt." She turned to Hedwig. "is that what you want, you want someone to tell Harry's friend?"

Hedwig nodded harshly at her.

"alright then." Hermione made her way to a desk and pulled a piece of parchment and a quill out of her bag before she began to write.

* * *

><p>When Harry woke up he found Hedwig siting atop his bedside table sternly glaring at him. And held in her beak was a letter. Someone had told Tom. Harry worridly looked at the letter before Hedwig prompted it to him. She knew Tom was going to be upset with him<p>

_Harry,_

_I am frustrated beyond all words right now. I told you to stay out of trouble. What did you do? You went looking for it. Don't even try saying you didn't I know you. You have a bleeding heart for others. _

_Harry I just want you to stay safe. I thought that if you were away from them you wouldn't get hurt. But you still did. All these dangerous things that have happened to you all year. I want you to promise not to look for trouble anymore. Even if someone is hurt I want you to stay out of it._

_I don't want you hurt._

_I don't know precisely what you did that got you hurt but I will find out eventually. And if anyone talked you into getting into mischief they will not find themselves quick to do it again. But as I am as of now unsure I will do the only thing that I can to keep you from more trouble._

_Incarcerus._

After reading that last word ropes sprang into existence and bound him to his bed.

"MR. POTTER! What have you done now?"

"Nothing ma'am, my friend sent a letter telling me to stay out of trouble and I think he just made sure that I would."

Madame Pomfrey looked at him bound to his bed.

"at least one of them has a right head on their shoulders." With that she turned an left him stuck to the bed. Hedwig gave a soft hoot of laughter as the nurse left him bound.

Harry managed to wiggled enough to reach a quill from his bedside table. Before he got Tom's letter people had been in and out of the infirmary congratulating him ever since he had woken up. He knew that he had worried his friend deeply with his adventure. He had never intended for Tom to know about it so he wouldn't worry.

_Tom,_

_I'm so sorry for not listening to you before. I really am. I am in the hospital wing right now. The nurse says you are the only one of my friends with a good head on their shoulders. I think she is only saying that because after your trick I couldn't leave my bed._

_Tom I need you I really do. The nurse might not have completely meant what she said but I do. I need someone who will listen without judging. _

_I killed someone Tom. I feel sick inside because of it. What's worse is everyone is okay with it. I was so scared and then he was burning but he wasn't on fire. He was trying to kill me. My defense professor was trying to kill me. He jinxed my broom. He's been trying to kill me all year and I still don't know why._

_Please tell me something Tom I can't take this. I feel awful._

_Harry_

Tom read Harry's letter and a thousand emotions he had no name for washed through him. He knew she had gotten into trouble but he had no idea that it had gone so far. His innocent, gentle friend, who couldn't even hate her own relatives for abuse, had been forced to kill.

_Harry,_

_Don't you dare blame yourself. Yes you killed him yes his death is now on your hands but if you hadn't he would have killed you. Never ever let someone do that. Never let them hurt you, I don't want to lose you. You are my friend. Never ever let someone take you away from me, please._

_P.S. listen to your nurse. Get better._

_Tom_

Harry read Tom's letter over and over again. One letter from Tom was worth more than the hundreds of smiles and reassurances of the other students. Tom made everything better. He understood. Even if it was wrong to kill, even if it was the dark lord, it was necessary.

A while later Tom's spell had worn off but Harry was still not allowed from his bed.

He heard someone standing by the doorway, Harry turned to see professor Dumbledore standing across the room.

"Hello professor."

"Hello Harry. What have you got there?"

"It's a letter from my friend, Tom."

Inperceivably Dumbledore's eyes clouded. Harry looked up and met his eyes. In his mind Dumbledore saw Harry holding pictures of another young boy in his hands, he saw the boy in the mirror. Silently a haze drew over those memories and it wove itself around all the memories connected to them.

"Professor what happened?" for a brief moment Dumbledore thought Harry had felt the haze settle on his memories.

"ah yes. What happened between you and professor Quarill was a secret. But as I am sure you are now aware a secret in Hogwarts is public knowledge."

Guilt ate at Harry's insides, so he had been right they had all known what happened. They knew that he killed a man, and still they congratulated him. He mentally shook himself remembering what Tom had said. Somehow not being congratulated and seeing it as a necessity instead made it easier to bare.

"Oh…what about the stone?"

"The stone has been destroyed." Harry knew he should feel bad about that he really did but it seemed better this way. If it doesn't exist no one will die to get it.

"But your friend Flamel?"

"Nickolas and his wife will indeed die. But to one who has live so long as he I imagine it to be like falling asleep after a long day." Dumbledore studied Harry's reactions carefully he had resigned himself long ago that there were some lives that couldn't be saved. But he would do his best to lessen the blow.

"Something to remember Harry, to the well prepared mind death is but the next great adventure." Harry looked at Dumbledore curiously he really didn't understand those words but he might have intended them to make him feel better about the six and a half century old man passing. He smiled at the headmaster's attempts to cheer him up. It didn't really though it just meant that he was the cause of another death, even indirectly.


	3. Year 2

Title: Pen Pals

Author: Nekoanima

Summary: What if Harry had a pen pal as a child another boy who was all alone. Harry makes friends with the young Tom Riddle as their letters bounce through time to the one they needed the most.

DISCLAIMER!: I own nothing or Harry never would have ended up with Ginny.

A/N: YEAR 2 GO!

* * *

><p><em>Hi Tom,<em>

_I am using muggle mail again because both Hedwig and I are locked up for the summer. My relatives weren't very forgiving for my school's gamekeeper giving Dudley a pig's tail. Or the letters, or anything really. Uncle Vernon screamed and yelled at me when I got back and since then I've been left alone._

_I haven't gotten any mail all summer from Ron or Hermione, I guess it's just you and me again. Oddly enough I don't mind that as long as I still have you I'm okay. Don't worry about them hurting me though. right now they are convinced that if they did I could hex them or something. I almost wish I could. That was a mean thing to think of them. The only thing that hasn't improved is getting to eat I think school spoiled me too much I should have prepared myself for not being able to eat._

_I find it strange that their neighbors never notice how they have treated me. When I was little I thought it was because it was okay. But now… I don't understand how anyone can turn their head at that._

_I hope everything is going good for you. Don't let them get you down._

_Harry_

Tom decided right then, if there was one thing he hated about summer more than his return to the orphanage it was Harry's return to her relatives. Now that they were in school they couldn't fight back. How could anyone think it a good idea to put a child in a world they don't belong, where they would be hated and feared, completely defenseless.

Tom had researched the bylaws during the last week of school to see if there was any way around the law but he only found one.

The underage witch/wizard must be in a life or death situation to perform magic without repercussions. This would be determined by a ministry court hearing after fact.

If Harry's relatives found out about that law then she would be in danger again. This time she wouldn't even be able to use her magic unless they were about to kill her. And even then the ministry would nearly always rule in favor of muggles claiming that it was not possible for a muggle to be a life threat to a witch or wizard.

The ministry was a order of first class fools. Tom knew from his own experiences and Harry's that muggles were not odd, harmless, non-magical creatures. He knew how they were, they were as vicious as he was without any cause but for the object of their maliciousness being different. Worse still was the fact that even those who did no harm never raised a hand to help.

Tom thought about Harry's wonderings. She was right how could anyone turn their heads away to something that was so wrong. Two years ago Harry still thought that her uncles beatings were right and that she deserved them. Her _family_ might have instigated that idea but the people around her, neighbors, classmates, and teachers, all escalated it by never lifting a finger to help her.

_Harry,_

_I am sorry that your companions from school haven't written to you. but just remember that no mater what I care for you. It will be alright, I am here for you just like always._

_I agree you are safe for the moment, just don't mention anything about not being able to use magic. You will be safe as long as they think you can retaliate._

_I have no answer for you on that my friend. I can think of no reason why._

_Avoid them as much as you can, don't do anything to push your luck that might make them forget that they think you can do magic there. Two months is all you have until you can return. Hold on till then._

_Tom_

* * *

><p>Vernon Dursley was a very happy man. One of his firm's clients was meeting with him to discuss a rather large shipment of drills. It would be a lovely little dinner get together. That was if not for one small pesky problem- the boy.<p>

That freakish scrawny brat was a dark stain on his perfect home and adoring family. If the Masons spotted him then the deal would be over with.

He went over what his family was to do once the Masons arrived. He was ever so proud of his son. Then he looked at his pathetic nephew, the boy would never amount to anything worthwhile. Marge was right the boy simply didn't have the breeding for it, he was small, and scrawny and had not an ounce of the healthy heftiness that Vernon's own son did. Utterly worthless.

"And you?" Vernon puffed himself up and stared the boy down.

"I'll be in my bedroom making no noise and pretending I don't exist." The boy replyed cheekily. Vernon raised his hand slightly, a jolt of… something shot through the boy's eyes at the little motion, but he remembered the freakishness, they would have taught him how to control it at that school, he lowered his hand back down.

Latter that night after his guests arrived Vernon found himself growing irritated. It wasn't due to his guests no that was going swimmingly he had them eating out of his hand. No it was the boy upstairs making a racket, drawing his guests' attention away from him.

A while after warning the boy he was talking with his rather content guests again. That is until he turned around and saw the boy trailing behind Petunia's pudding that was floating in the air.

A moment latter hell broke loose in his living room shouting family and guests, and a owl flying into the room. Shortly following the blasted bird's arivle Mrs. Mason let loose an ear splitting shriek.

After the Masons left his home in a rush he rounded on the boy.

"read the letter boy." He prompted and the boy did. As he read a wide grin split itself across Vernon Dursley's face. The boy couldn't do his hocus pocus on him, he never could, oh how he was going to pay. And pay dearly he would.

* * *

><p><em>Hi, Tom.<em>

_Its funny it's never bothered me before but them completely ignoring my birthday is kind of … I don't know how to describe it. I was told this morning that I would stay in my room for the night and pretend I don't exist so as to not desturb my uncle's business associate and his wife._

_A house elf showed up in my room. He was demanding I stay with my relatives instead of returning to school. He says that terrible things will be happening there this year. I find out that he was the one taking my letters, apparently he thought if I didn't have any friends I wouldn't want to go back to school. Then he went and preformed a hovering charm just to try and get me expelled to stay here._

_This lovely event ends with a screaming builder's wife, coated in pudding, and an owl from the ministry telling my uncle I am not allowed to do magic._

_I think he is more furious now than I've ever seen him._

_Currently there are twelve locks on the outside of my bedroom door and bars on my window._

_I hope your doing better._

_Harry_

Tom could only stare at Harry's most recent letter. Dread filled his gut as he read about her uncle now knowing her restrictions. He needed to get to her, somehow. Martha was there that day he could always persuade her to give him aid. She was always the most gullible of the caretakers.

Tom on his way out his bedroom door realized that he couldn't remember Harry's mailing address. How was it possible to forget that? He had been writing her for years, he should know it by heart. He went to his box of her letters and looked at them all only to find he couldn't find her mailing address.

_August 20th_

_December 31st_

_March 16th_

Tom riffled through every letter she had ever sent him and not a one had the mailing address.

He looked at the address he had just written on the envelope only to find that he couldn't see it there either.

Panicking he grabbed a sheet of paper an a quill. He wrote out the address that he had memorized. He smiled for a moment and he thought about it but the moment he did it disappeared from his mind. He turned back to his paper and like all the letters he had kept the address was no longer there.

_Harry,_

_I want to know right now what happened after he found out about the decree for underage wizardry. I know from all this time how that man acts I want to know how badly he hurt you this time._

_I hate your uncle my friend, I cant do anything about this. I hate this helplessness. Please find a way out of there soon._

_Tom_

Harry read Tom's letter and held it close to his chest after Dobby came Tom was still the only one he was getting letters from. He was the only one who kept him afloat when he was all alone. Sometimes he would imagine what it would be like when they finally met, with every scenario being different. But some nights he would have nightmares.

He would be sitting talking with Tom when suddenly when he looks up Tom's eyes are no longer dark and mischivious, they are a burning red with an icy gaze. After waking from those dreams he would find himself with tears staining his cheeks without ever knowing why he would see those things.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_Thanks for caring so much._

_It really wasn't that bad. I should be use to it really all he did was hit me in my stomach and pick me up by the back of my neck. Most of the bruises came from being thrown into my room. See there's no need to fret no blood at all._

_The worst part is that I cant leave my room without them letting me out. That's only for chores and a bathroom break. I'm glad they think that wizards cant use muggle mail or else they might not let me near the post box._

_They still don't know about you and me. That makes me a little bit happy, you are still my secret from them._

_I know you hate feeling helpless, but really the only way we can go is up once you hit rock bottom. Just think after we are all done you will never be helpless again, sometimes I cant wait to grow up._

_I don't know how when I'm going to be able to leave. I wonder if I didn't show up at school if someone would come get me._

_Harry_

Tom's ire was not soothed when he received Harry's letter. It had been an ill week for the other children to be in his presence. For even without the use of magic he was very good at making them have 'accidents'.

Harry's low value of her own self worth always troubled him. She always seemed so surprised that he cared for her at all. She often seemed like she thought she wasn't worth being cared for. But then he would realize that in her mind she was the one that was meant to look after and take care of everyone, she had been trained that way by the disgusting muggles she lived with.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_No matter how many times you thank me it wont change the fact that I do. You are the only one I care about._

_While I am thankful that the damage was not extensive I do not like what he does to you. I am quite honestly stunned that you don't hate the man even after knowing that what he does to you is wrong._

_Don't let them find out about us either, keeping us a secret from your family is a absolute nesesity._

_Avoid them as often as you can._

_Tom_

_P.S Something is very wrong Harry when I wanted to come get you I couldn't remember your address. When I wrote it, it disappeared yet I could write it out of habit and remember it for an instant. Yet when I wanted to use that memory it faded._

Tears pricked Harry's eyes at Tom's letter. He knew his friend cared about him, Tom cared more than anyone ever had. Tom always wanted to keep him safe. But to say that he wanted to come get him away from his relatives was amazing.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_You wanted to come get me? But you could be across the contry from me or even the world._

_I really wish you could come get me._

_The headmaster told me that my mother gave her life for me the night my parents died. He said that her blood is what keeps this house safe. That's why they wanted me to come back here. The wards are probably also why you cant get the address. I wish you could._

* * *

><p><em>Hi Tom,<em>

_Guess what!_

_Ron and his brothers busted me out last night, we are now at his house. They came to get me in their dad's flying car. I'm going to get Fred and George to teach me how to pick locks before next summer. They picked pulled the bars off of my window and picked the lock on my door and the cupboard to get my stuff. I don't know how my relatives didn't wake up from the sound of them getting my trunk upstairs._

_As we were about to pull away Hedwig hooted reminding me about her, for some strange reason her hoot woke up uncle Vernon when all the stuff the twins did didn't._

_I'm learning how to pick locks from them for next summer._

_Gnomes are kind of funny creatures. They look like potatoes with feet really. If they didn't run around trying to trip you they would almost be cute. But they bite too. De-gnoming Ron's family garden was really fun._

_Harry_

Tom almost laughed at Harry's comment about the gnomes. At least she was safe now. Even if she was with the trouble making git. It wouldn't be too much longer till she was back at school. They would sort out the nonsense that the house elf had spouted when it came. Tom truly didn't want Harry to go searching for danger like she had before even if it was a good cause, in his mind no cause was worth his friend's life or safety.

* * *

><p>Hi Tom,<p>

_Obviously I am able to use owl mail again, Hedwig is unbelievably happy at this she hated being cooped up just as much if not more than I did. She nearly jumped at the chance to take a letter to you. but she's still kind of mad at me for one of the events listed here._

_I am having a terrible week so far. First I managed to end up in the wrong fireplace, we were using floo powder. I ended up in Knockturn Alley. It was an accident really but I'm glad I hid the store owner didn't look too friendly at all. I saw Draco and his father there. I was going to ask them for help but then I remembered that Draco hates me now._

_When I finally make it back to Diagon alley I get pulled into a stupid photo with a moron._

_Then Draco shows up and decides to be a git. I think he thought I was posing for that picture. I don't know why he's so mad at me. He stopped liking me after we were sorted last year and it doesn't seem like it's going to be getting any better soon. I wish I could get him to talk to me again to figure out what I did to make him hate me._

_Then this morning the barrier to get to the train sealed itself, then my friend gets the bright idea that flying his dad's modified muggle car to school would be a good idea. On that venture we get seen by, according to the slimy git of a professor, no less than twelve muggles. Then we almost got hit by the train because he thought it sounded close, so we must have caught up with it. Then when we finally get to the school he and his horrible driving skills landed us in a particularly violent tree. This is what Hedwig is angry at me for. She didn't want Ron to drive in the first place. When the tree hit us she was jostled about quite a lot._

_Said tree is apparently called a Whomping Willow, look it up and tell me it's a grand idea to have one of those on school grounds. Because of the damage to said malicious tree both Ron and I have a months worth of detentions. It's a good thing houses cant loose points before terms starts. Hermione is going to kill me._

_Pray I make it through breakfast tomorrow alive. If Hermione doesn't kill me my house mates might._

_Harry_

Tom frowned, he knew he should have said something about choosing the bafoon's home as a safe place. Obviously he had thought too highly of the boy.

"Hi Tom, its nice to be back isn't it?"

"Yes Black. It is …nice." nice couldn't even begin to describe how he felt about returning to Hogwarts. The orphanage was a dull dreary place, the children there were either world hardened and cruel or they were still too naïve to realize that their lot in life was not about to get any better. Tom just happened to be a little wiser to the world's workings than most.

While he had never had it so bad as Harry, being starved and beaten by the very people that were meant to care for her, his treatment was never good. Much went on behind Martha's back that the woman never knew about.

Tom had no trust at all in the human race, but for harry he would walk straight through the gates of hell and back if it meant that she was safe and taken care of. Humans were something he despised quite often, perhaps that is why he preferred the company of snakes. But what he had seen of the wizarding world, they were far better than muggles. In the books on wizarding laws that he had found that wizarding laws against child abuse and neglect were far more strict than any in the muggle world. Harming a wizarding child was unthinkable to their culture yet halfbloods and muggleborns brought their parents' ways into their society. If Harry's uncle was a wizard and doing what he did, he would have been locked in Azkaban for a minimum of ten years.

"Tom?" Tom shook himself from his musings by the worried voice of Alphard Black. Oh how he hated Alphard, the boy was a nuisance at best, he acted like Martha in all her foolish gullible annoyance.

As they climbed into the carriages Tom found himself genuinely interested. They appeared to be pulled by nothing yet there were hoof prints under it. The ground would shift as if it was being pawed at by an invisible force. Tom smirked, he had a research project already and it wasn't spurred on by Harry getting herself into trouble.

Tom watched the headmaster give his start of term speech. It was actually a rather pointless affair in his opinion. It should be obvious to avoid the forbidden forest, hence its name in the first place.

After the pointless speech and the staff introductions for first years the feast was allowed to begin. Tom ate his meal peaceably while watching his housemates now the younger years. They would be much easier to influence than his own year, he was more powerful than them and older. If he had already managed to put fear of him in his own year after all of Avery's …'accidents', then the younger ones would pose no problem at all.

Latter as he sat on his comfortable bed in the Slytherin boys' dormitory, after all the others had gone to sleep, he smiled. He was home again. He knew Harry would feel the same at her school. They had no home but their school and no one but each other but Tom rather liked it, he didn't need anyone but her in his life to be content. His friend was all that mattered, but he had to keep boredom from settling on his shoulders somehow. Tomorrow he would go to the library to research the invisible creatures pulling the carriages. He gave it a week before Harry's curiosity and ability to attract trouble gave him something else to do.

Shaking his head with a sigh he laid himself down for sleep.

The next morning Tom was awake long before the sun, it would be hours yet before breakfast would be served in the great hall. Miranda Pince, the librarian's protégé, opened the library for him. She was a rather young witch of only twenty, she was rather stern and valued books over all else. She was rather tolerable in Tom's opinion as she was most certainly useful.

For several hours after that he searched the library for the creature he was looking for. By the time that he had found a book Miranda was calling him to go to the great hall. He carried the book he had found down to breakfast with him.

As he sat at the table he leafed through the book to the article containing the creature.

_Thestrals_

_Thestrals are winged horse like creatures. They live off of a diet of meat and are very loyal to their masters. They can find there way back home from anywhere. They are considered to be bad luck because only those who have seen death can see a thestral._

_It is the light that leaves the eyes of a dead man that shines on thestrals._

'_How interesting'_ Tom thought as he saw that line as well as a sketch of what one of the creatures really looked like.

"You are a morbid bugger Riddle." Avery looked at Tom cautiously. While the other Slytherins looked up to see what he was talking about but Tom had already closed his book set it aside and continued to eat his breakfast. His curiosity was settled for the moment and Harry's friend would soon be regretting putting her in danger again. It was a good day.

* * *

><p>The day after Harry and Ron's grand return to Hogwarts a pair of owls arrived. Errol and Hedwig both presenting mail not to Harry but to Ron instead.<p>

Ron looked cautiously at Hedwig, he knew how evil the immaculate bird could be and her bearing mail to him bode ill for him. But after seeing Harry's vengefully intelligent bird he noticed a bright red letter held in Errol's talons.

His mother had sent a howler.

After the letter burned itself and his ears rung. Ron looked at the glaring golden eyes of Harry's bird. She hadn't turned to Harry at all, she was still watching him and somehow she looked pleased. She offered her leg to him holding out the plain letter in her grasp.

Warily he reached for the letter, Hedwig snapped her beak at him briefly before allowing him the letter. After he took the letter she gracefully fluttered over to her master. Harry was still rather blank faced even though his mother had just yelled at him and included Harry's name in the mix. He smiled at the devil bird and offered the cured thing some of his ham.

Ron looked carefully at the letter. It seemed simple enough

_Hello Ronald,_

_I am Tom. Harry is a dear friend to me. If you ever put Harry in harm's way again expect a punishment far worse than this._

_Tom_

"AAH!" Ron shouted in pain and surprise.

Angry red welts burned Ron's hands making him drop the letter.

'_what the bloody hell? How is Harry friends with such a snake of a bloke like this?'_ He could only stair down at his blistered hands in horror.

"Hey Ron what happened?" Harry looked over at him looking concerned while still petting the devil bird.

"Your friend happened." He ground out angrily before storming off from the table towards the hospital wing.

Harry watched completely confused as Ron ran from the table. _'what's going on with him?'_

"he deserved it." Hermione chanted not even looking up from her newspaper.

'_Isn't that a little harsh, to say it like that. I feel so bad for Ron's dad though we got him into trouble. We really screwed up bad.'_

A while after breakfast Ron confronted him in the common room.

"What's wrong with you picking a snake like that as your friend! Mental I say. Hexing people for no good reason."

"Ron, Sorry but what are you talking about?"

Furiously Ron held up his bandaged hands. Madam Pomfry wasn't able to make the blisters go away with anything she had. Apparently Harry's 'best friend' was an expert at curses.

"Your friend! That's what I'm talking about."

"Tom?"

"Yeah you know evil slimy snake of a bloke. That can apparently curse letters so the nurse cant heal you."

"Don't call him that!" Ron was surprised for a moment at Harry, the boy hardly ever had a backbone. He was almost as soft spoken as Neville sometimes. But as soon as the outburst came it went.

"Tom sent you a letter?"

"Weren't you paying any attention to me at all this morning!"

"Sorry Ron I didn't notice. I felt bad about getting your dad into so much trouble I guess is spaced. Sorry" How dare he worry about that! How dare he worry more about his dad's stupid low wage job than his hands nearly being burnt off by his stupid friend.

"You didn't notice that his curse nearly burned off my hands!"

"Tom sent a cursed letter to you." "oh no! he thinks you are why we came in the car."

"how the bloody hell was that my fault! Why does everybody think it was my fault! First mum and now your psyco friend."

"don't call him that."

"why not its true isn't it he's what twelve, thirteen? He sent a curse the nurse couldn't undo. What kind of kid does that I'm telling you Harry he's evil probably rolling in the dark arts."

"Your wrong! Tom is a genius. A bit overprotective of me sometimes and maybe a little vengeful but he is a genius and he's my friend."

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_Why did you curse Ron? He didn't mean for us to get hurt or the car to hit that tree. Can you please take the hex off of him? The nurse couldn't heal his hands. He thinks I told you to curse him._

_We got in a row because he called you , and I quote 'an evil slimy snake of a bloke' then we fought. He seems to be under the impression that blisters entail that his hands were nearly burnt off. Then he said that you were probably rolling in the dark arts. I wouldn't care if were you are still my friend. You are always nice to me and you've always looked after me as best you could._

_Am I bad for not taking his side?_

_Harry_

* * *

><p><em>Hello Harry,<em>

_Fine I will remove the curse but quite honestly he deserved it. And it would be well deserved if I left it. For that reason I have enclosed my other letter with you so you may decide when his punishment has been enough. If he continues to harass you simply withhold the letter from him._

_My friend you are never bad, mischievous and a trouble magnet perhaps but you are not bad. At the moment I don't believe you have to worry about me looking into the dark arts, our library is limited._

_Tom._

Harry happily gave Ron the second letter without a second thought. But Ron looked at it distrustfully.

"Go on he said it has the counter to it. He didn't want me to give it to you in the first place though.

"Fine." With that Ron took the letter and a moment latter he was peeling off his bandages and his blistered hands were clear again.

* * *

><p><em>Hi Tom,<em>

_Thank you Tom for removing the hex_

_So remember the babbling moron that I had a picture forcibly taken with?_

_Guess what. He's my new defense professor._

_He is beyond annoying. He is vain, self obsessed, blonde airhead and has almost all the girls in my school crushing on him and all the boys just think he's amazing._

Tom felt increasing annoyance with the man Harry was speaking of. While he was quite sure that she would have more sense then other girls when it came to an 'airhead' with a pretty face it still bothered him that such a man was in her presence.

_Honestly it is nearly impossible to have conversation with any of them without them singing his praises. I don't suppose you could accidentally on purpose send one of your cursed letters to him could you?_

A malicious smirk drew itself across Tom's handsome face. Not only did Harry not like the man but she asked for something that Tom himself already desired to do. Oh no he would have no qualms what so ever in fulfilling her request.

_Harry,_

_First off it was a curse not a hex. If I had been there in person it would have been a hex. But as it was passed through an object to get to him it was a curse, a particularly mild one at that._

_If you still desire an unfortunate accident on you professor, hand the yellow letter to Hedwig and point your wand at her while drawing a circle with it. Then say 'dilusium'._

_After this hand the green letter to your friend Ron, don't worry it wont do any harm to him. As much as I would enjoy cursing him again I know it would upset you. I promise that I will not curse him again unless he absolutely deserves it._

_Tom_

Harry smiled and did exactly as Tom said. After Hedwig in her invisible state flew off he handed the green letter to Ron who warily took it. After looking at it for a moment a vacant look crossed his face. Harry looked at him curiously. What did Tom do to him?

Shrugging it off he looked up at the head table to see what was happening to Lockhart only to see a vibrant peacock in his place and a canary yellow letter on the table in front of it.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_I could kiss you for that. That was amazing. You are a genius. I don't see how your transfiguration teacher could possibly not give you points for being that amazing at it and through a letter too!_

_I wonder if they will cancel his class for the week?_

_Did you make him a peacock permanently or will the nurse be able to set him right?_

Tom blushed lightly at Harry's letter.

"Wow Tom you're blushing what happened?" Tom looked up to see Alphard looking at him curiously.

"nothing at all."

"but you got a letter and you're blushing. Or rather you were." Alphard corrected himself as Tom was by no means blushing anymore.

"I promise I wont tell anyone. I just want to know." In his mind Tom was smirking viciously.

"I cursed Harry's defense professor into a peacock."

Alphard stared at the other boy open mouthed. How could anyone be so cold as Tom Riddle to curse someone they don't even know.

As Alphard considered this Tom waved his wand subtly, ensuring that the dark haired boy couldn't tell a word of what he had done. Oh it was great fun to get away with what he did without Dumbledore ever knowing.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_I am afraid to say that your curse was put right before the moron could miss any of his classes. The first class I have with the man he gives us a quiz about himself. Every book for the class he has written himself and they all read like fantasy and narcissism._

_Not only was that a complete failure of a lesson even Hermione is completely taken by him._

_Then I got called out in transfiguration by the professor because I forgot most of what we learned last year. it was rather embarrassing. Especially when I think about the fact that you can do so much even through letters when you have to go back to the muggle world to. I guess I'm just not as clever as I should be on that. All I managed to do was give my beetle exercise._

_I wish I could actually practice magic over the summer. It seems really odd that Ron's family can have all that magic in their house and none of them get calls for it when I did and I wasn't even the one who did it. I wonder why that is? If they cant tell who does the magic then what's to stop the kids from wizarding families from doing more over the summers when muggleborns cant._

_I guess its not there for the kids so much as to keep the wizarding world a secret from muggles. That would make a lot more sense._

_Harry_

Tom felt a flare of annoyance for Harry, she was as innocent as ever in some ways. She seemed to think that the ministry was the benefit of the wizarding world when most of its laws were archaic and backwards to begin with.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_I have looked over a great number of the laws that are listed in the school's library. The laws are set by purebloods; muggles are looked at like something odd and funny. They see no threat in them, nor do they wish for exposure of the magical world to them._

_In a case of life or death a child may be permitted to use magic but this will be followed by a hearing. In most cases the child would loose the argument, as they don't consider defending oneself against a muggle to be plausible. If the child were to die at the hands of a muggle they would consider it an unfortunate accident or that they were too stupid to use their magic._

_The ministry sees no reason to expose us to muggles. The trace only applies to those who live in the muggle world because they are not supposed to be doing magic. Any other child can perform any magic that they wish._

_Purebloods don't see a reason to allow muggleborns magic in the summers they believe that as one lives with muggles that they should live as one without magic. It is never stated but it is thoroughly implied._

_After I found these things I truly worried for you Harry I really did. Now that your uncle knows about them I will most likely worry more._

_On a less morose note don't worry about you transfiguration class. I am quite sure you will remember what you need. If you cant remember on your own then I strongly suggest looking back through your first year textbook._

_I am quite sorry that I could not make the transfiguration of your defense professor more long term but that is quite a bit more difficult as even standard transfigurations have a limit to how long they last. I was quite please with the results to begin with. I will try doing further research to see if there is a way to lengthen the amount of time or if there is perhaps a way to have it work like a curse instead of a baser transfiguration. And no I will not ask my transfiguration professor how to do this I highly doubt that being perfectly capable of fifth year transfigurations and curses would win me any points in his book. If anything it would probably make him all the more suspicious of me._

_I have said many times that he does not like me correct? It would seem that this is an understatement. He searches for a reason for everything to be of my doing. Though most of it may be there is no proof and even the incidents that were not caused by me he watches me over. It is quite maddening._

_Tom_

Harry read Tom's letter avidly his friend was highly intelligent and very informative. reading between the lines of what he had said it appeared that the ministry wasn't as trustworthy as most people seemed to think.

"Hey Hermione did you know all of this?" Harry handed Hermione Tom's letter which she quickly read through.

"Harry why does Tom do so much research on such odd topics? I never even considered being politically active even in the muggle world. It never crossed my mind."

"He gets board really easy he has eidetic memory and magic comes naturally to him so he needs things to keep his mind occupied. When he was in primary school he took an IQ test and ranked at 161." Harry said proudly.

"So he curses people?"

"That's his current interest mostly he only curses the ones who deserve it. He gets picked on in his house because he's a muggleborn."

"He doesn't seem to be very nice."

"No, he's amazing, really. He just doesn't like people judging him much. And people always do. He grew up that way, he could either get even or let the others break him. The other kids were really mean to him."

"he still doesn't seem like he would be all that nice of a person to be friends with."

"he was my first friend, he's my best friend in the world really. " Harry smiled while he said this but it caused hermione to frown. Hadn't Harry and Tom only been writing since they were seven? Harry must have had a few friends before that surely. But as Harry seemed to avoid mention of anything regarding his past in the muggle world she decides to change the subject despite the suspiciousness of it all.

"Where does he live?"

"I don't know where but he stays in an orphanage. I've never asked and I've never told him where I am either."

"Why not?"

"Because if he's close to me he would try to get to me and he would get hurt in the process. I don't want him to get hurt. "

"Why would he get hurt?"

"No reason its just something." Harry mumbled quietly. Hermione watched him carefully before turning back to her paper. There was always something off with Harry, just under the surface.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_Please behave I know you don't like the other students but please try not to get angry at them. You know that they are more immature than you are. They haven't been through some of the things you have so at least try not to hold it against them._

_I'm not asking for a miricle I know you think they deserve it but would you please try. I don't want you to get expelled because he found some sort of evidence against you._

_Harry_

Tom sighed as he read Harry's letter her ability to care for people confused him greatly most of the time. She could try and protect people she didn't even know from minor harm and humiliations. But for her he would try, she was right unfortunately, he had been careless. While the others' suffering was entirely their fault he did take amusement out of it. He had been acting like a Gryffindor at a Quidditch match- rash and impulsive.

Tom scowled at that thought, he was nothing like any of those weak minded sheep hanging on to Albus Dumbledore's coattails. They were all stupid, impulsive, and completely narrow-minded.

At the slightest mention of anything having the possibility of being dark they shunned it. Tom found himself quite glad to be a Slytherin despite the stigma against him due to his heritage, or lack there of.

Briefly he wondered what house Harry could be in if she went to Hogwarts instead. She was such a strange combination of the houses traits. She was as loyal as any Hufflepuff, even more impulsive than most Gryffindors. Tom cringed at that, honestly it felt as though some agent of fate decided to turn off her survival instinct for the hell of it. She wouldn't be a very good Ravenclaw as she only read when she needed something from it. But Tom found himself thankful that her Slytherin like common sense was enough to make her at least notice when she was being foolish even if it didn't stop her from carrying it out.

He hadn't been quite completely truthful with Harry when he said that he wouldn't explore the dark arts. The Hogwarts library of coarse was indeed quite lacking in that department but that didn't stop him from browsing through what they did have. As it was still early on he was unfortunately incapable of using many of the spells and there was still a number of books to look through but he had six more years to look through them and gather his own. At twelve years old, if there was anything that he knew it was that the world was rulled by the powerful, and knowage was power.

* * *

><p>The Slytherin Quiddich team strode out onto the pitch proudly where they found not a clear morning and an empty pitch for practice but a still damp early morning of grey and a sky filled with streaks of red and gold. The Gryffindors where here too.<p>

The Gryffindor Quidditch captain marched towards them and the team all came to ground. Oliver Wood and Marcus Flint were both arguing heatedly about who's pitch it was. But this was not uncommon between the two of them. A number of rumors stated that the two fifth years were like that simply because Marcus had asked Wood on a date only to be turned down. Though considering his appearance it was fairly obvious as to why the other captain would do so. Then again it could also just be house rivalry, either way it was amusing to watch them biker like an old married couple.

After reading Severus's note Wood looked among their number to find their new seeker, the rest of the Gryffindors joined in the search.

Draco smirked victoriously at Harry. He still wished the other boy hadn't turned him away and become a Gryffindor just for Weasley's hate speech. They could have had great fun in Slytherin together.

From all the incidents that had happened to Harry, if there was one thing to say about him it was that he had a poker face that could rival Draco's own father. The only thing that ever gave him away was his eyes.

Harry's eyes seemed like they were smiling even though Flint had just insulted his team and demanded that Draco himself practice. What could he possibly be happy about?

Then his frizzy haired witch sidekick decided to go and insult him. As if he didn't get in on talent. The stupid brooms were gifts to the team because he had seen the deplorable shape that the school brooms were in. Well that and no small amount of begging for a new broom to celebrate making the team.

But his anger at the situation got the best of him and he called her 'mudblood'. Oh his mother would have washed his mouth with soap if she knew about this.

Weasley raised his tattered excuse of a wand at him. For a moment he was afraid he was going to get blasted with something particularly nasty. That is until it backfired on the red head making him double over retching up half a dozen large slugs. It was disgusting.

With that Harry and Granger ran over to him and pulled him up. For a brief moment Harry had looked between him and Weasley as if not sure who to go to but then had chosen. As the two of them began dragging him away Harry looked back at him with a sad look as if silently saying '_sorry'._

* * *

><p>It was another three weeks before Draco saw Harry again outside of their classes. Only this time there was nothing good at all.<p>

Draco looked at the scene before him. Everyone was staring at Harry and his sidekicks. The corridore was flooded due to the weeping ghost in the girls' bathroom. But between the three of them, hanging from a torch light was Filtch's cat- Mrs. Norris.

All eyes rested on Harry who was the closest to the creature. The dark haired boy seemed stunned when they had arrived he was simply staring at the caretaker's cat.

Whispers spread through the halls, mutterings about Harry being strange, of who did it, or even of saying Harry himself was dark and he had done it.

But the worst thing of all was the message written in what seemed to be blood on the wall.

_The Chamber of Secrets has been opened._

_Enemies of the heir beware._

There were only a few responses Draco could think of to cope with a message like that, fear, sarcasm, or blaming someone.

There was no one to blame that he would, even if he was still sore about being turned away he wouldn't blame Harry for something like this. And he would never show anyone him being afraid. That only left sarcasm as his option.

"Enemies of the heir Beware? You'll be next mudbloods!" Uh-oh that word again his mother was really going to kill him if he didn't stop saying such vulgar things. She was a proper lady and she would never tolerate it. But it seemed his sarcasm was lost on most of the student populace. Thankfully the teachers had finally arrived, or most of the useful ones at least. Lockhart would never be useful. Who ever had cursed him at the beginning of term had his respect. Now if only they could make him do a vanishing act.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_If a ghost ever invites you to their deathday party remember to refuse. It was terrible. The food there was all rotted and horrible. Obviously none of use even considered trying to actually eat any of it. The music was the sound of nails on a chalk board. Literally._

_I cant believe I missed the Halloween feast for that. The headmaster supposedly had a troup of live dancing skeletons for entertainment. How you cant have live skeletons is beyond me._

_Tom, I've got a question for you. Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets in Hogwarts? There are weird things beginning to happen here and supposedly its linked to that._

_Harry_

Tom stared at Harry's letter for a moment while Hedwig looked iriable for some reason or another. Really there were times when that bird made Tom feel as though she knew more than he did. Which was saying something indeed.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_Eventually you will spend a Halloween with me and I will get you to enjoy my favorite day of the year. Generally all my best ideas come together then. I thoroughly enjoyed completely stumping the professors. It was remarkably tame compared to other things but it was enjoyable._

_Quite simply I made the lights go out and summoned a few hundred rats into the great hall. Then caused the jack-o-lanterns to laugh maniacally. It was such a whimsical thing to do really but the results were hilarious._

_The entirety of the hall was screaming from a herd of tiny white rats and the dark. I do believe I need a hobby if this has become the pinnacle of my entertainment._

_I do hope you are pleased I have manage to amuse myself slightly without cursing people and the likelihood of getting caught is next to nothing._

_I will look up what I can find about the chamber of secrets though I really don't know how much it will help you._

_Tom_

Harry smiled at Tom's declaration of forcing him to have an enjoyable Halloween. He was proud of Tom, he was too smart to go and get himself expelled over something as trivial as needing payback. The magical world was where Tom belonged even if his school was boring him out of his mind.

* * *

><p><em>I'm sorry your so board Tom. I guess being able to do fourth year material makes second year stuff seem rather dull. I'll try and find something to send you so you can keep yourself occupied.<em>

_Thanks that will be a big help._

_Harry_

Tom smiled at his friend's understanding of his situation. He was quite board in most of his classes. He could get the spells in the first two tries every time though he had found that with most of the advanced light spells he had a great deal of difficulty with them. Yet when he tried the beginner level dark spells he could find they came naturally. He could find no mention of a reason for this in any book he looked through. Perhaps he would ask Harry if she could find him anything in her school's library instead. A copying charm would be rather easy to teach her through a letter. Yes that seems like it would be the most logical coarse of action to avoid suspicioun from the great bumblebee.

'_Ugh his robes.'_

Tom shuddered before writing back to harry with his request.

* * *

><p>Tom looked through Ginny's eyes to see the faces around her. One face stood out among the crowd. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived.<p>

He was… cute for lack of a better word. He was as small as if not smaller than most of the first years even though he was a second year. He had large childish round glasses and large doe like acid green eyes set in an androgynous child's face. But most of all he looked like Tom's Harry. At least he looked like her as a child, when he grew he would obviously look more masculine. Unless he was starved during a growth period like his Harry had been thus why her breasts never developed as fully as they could have. But that was a complete impossibility as he was the light's precious savior.

Ginny was completely taken with him for no other reason than his looks and perhaps his status as a celebrity, what a shallow pointless child she was. But perhaps not entirely pointless, after all she was giving up her life and magic to him.

Ginny's infatuation he could see no rhyme or reason for she knew absolutely nothing about the boy except that he was apparently a hero. Ginny had told him many things she learned about him through her brother. But observing the boy himself he could not find any of the supposed adventurous, fame seeking qualities she spoke of.

The only thing the red haired girl could think about was the idea of her being 'Mrs. Harry Potter' when she grew up. How utterly pathetic. Why oh why did he have to end up in the hands of someone so absolutely annoying. He couldn't even do anything more than posses her. Harry would probably laugh at him for being so irked by such a petty thing. But then again she would also be most understanding about his situation. She was always ever so forgiving when he did things that didn't please her. She would be displeased, then she would see his reasoning, then she would help him; after all everything he had done would help her or do no harm to her.

Tom sighed in his mind, he missed his friend dearly she always knew what to say at the right moment. She always knew how he felt and how to make everything better. She would say something that even he never thought of and it would cause a wonderful spark of ideas to flow through his mind.

She had said that he was a genius, that he was special, and coming from her those words were golden. For her he'd do anything at all

'_I wish you were here Harry. ' _Tom silently shook his head and possessed Ginny, he had a few things to do still to keep Ferrous safe while he distracted the school from the worthless little girl who's life he was taking.

Much latter after his slaughtering of roosters was finished he found himself watching a Quidditch match. Why the girl had decided to watch something so pointless was a mystery to him. That is until he saw that Potter was playing, then everything made perfect sense.

While watching Potter fly Tom couldn't help but wonder how his Harry had been related to the Potters it was obvious simply by the fact that she was a halfblood that she was related to most families by default but her resemblance and skills were so similar to the Potter family traits.

He broke from his musings when the crowd collectively gasped. A bludger had struck Potter's arm and knocked him off of his broom. It was like watching a scene from his mind when he had gotten Harry's letter detailing one of her stints in the hospital wing.

As the match was called the stands poured out to surround him. Then the flamboyant blonde buffoon of a teacher they had misspoke a healing spell on the boy.

What a pointless man he was, apparently Hogwarts teaching standards had dropped so low as Harry's school's had fifty years ago for such a similar incident to occur.

Really what had his older self been thinking when casting such a curse?

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_Things are really getting bad here, there has been another attack since the first. As I am writing this I am in the hospital wing, they brought in another student last night._

_Before you ask I'm in the hospital wing, its because the moron who they have hired for our defense professor tried to heal my broken arm and ended up vanishing all the bones from it instead. The nurse made me drink something awful to regrow them._

_Why do all potions have to taste so bad?_

_Harry_

Tom felt all his previous disdain for Harry's defense teacher skyrocket. Not only was he worthless as her teacher but he had caused her to stay in the infirmary. Temporary transfigurations were too gentle for the man. He was going to pay for harming his friend.

* * *

><p>Gildaroy Lockhart woke the morning after the Quidditch match only to find that an owl had already visited him. He had such eager fans. He smiled.<p>

Ah how glorious it was to be him beautiful women throwing themselves at him, charming children begging for his autograph, and even Harry Potter looking upon him as a roll model. Life was good, he reached for the letter on his bed side and merrily began to read it.

_You have hurt my friend for the last time. I will not tolerate your foolishness any longer. You have crossed the line between being a nuisance to being a threat._

_Flamare incarcerus_

With that ropes of black fire began to wrap themselves around him burning his dainty baby soft skin to a charred black and blistered red. Who could he have possibly enraged to deserve such pain and agony. But then through his tears of pain he saw the rest of the letter

_P.S. you should really think twice before harming a little girl, you never know who she is precious to. If you harm her again or meddle with her at all I will know and this will be the least of your worries._

Gildaroy wept as the fire that wrapped him subsided. Perhaps there was something he could do to keep such an enraged fan from harming him again. He didn't even know that he had hurt any little girl. If he had it had been purely accidental. Perhaps teaching the little dear to protect herself would be beneficial. Yes that would be most ideal he would go to the head master and demand a dueling club.

"ow." He whimpered.

He would see the headmaster right after his wounds were healed.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_Its called parseltounge, the way we can speak to snakes, that's what its called. I didn't know that it was so rare until now. The only problem is how I found out that it was rare._

_There was a dueling club at the school you see and one of the teachers supervising it was my potions professor, you know the one who hates me. He pairs me up with the bloke that cant stand my guts aka Draco. I don't understand why Draco hates me now he was my friend and then we got sorted and he stopped. It still hurts a little that he stopped being my friend so quickly, after all he was my first friend other than you. thinking about it makes me really glad you have never left me._

_But as I was saying we started dueling with a little bit more skill than we were supposed to. Okay that's stretching it. We were only supposed to disarm each other. It ended with him using a spell serpensortia, it summoned a snake. And she was pissed she was going to bite one of the boys by the stage so she could leave. I told her not to and then everyone turned on me. Apparently its considered a dark gift to speak to snakes. I don't get it how can a language be dark? Even more so I never knew that no body else could understand it. I thought that it was just a wizarding thing and that might be why muggles couldn't hear them._

_On a better note the idiot called in sick for two days prior to that. So we didn't have to deal with him._

_Harry_

Tom could only look on at Harry's letter in shock, did she not remember him saying what Dumbledore had said. Did she completely forget that he had told her that it was an uncommon gift? How could she be so foolish as to show it to the rest of her school. Now she was going to be in more danger simply from the bigotry of the student body.

"Are you okay Tom?" Alphard asked him cautiously.

"No Black I am not okay." Tom said through gritted teeth.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Unless you know a solution to a light biased school's bigotry against a dark based gift no I do not want to talk about it."

"Something's wrong with your friend isn't it?"

Tom slowly looked up at Alphard.

"You only ever show anything when its about her." He supplied.

"Yes it is about her. Now leave me be."

"Alright then, I hope everything works out." With that Alphard stood up and left with Tom glaring at his back.

Tom rose from his seat and started towards the library for a solution to his problem. While Hedwig flew away carrying a simple letter.

_Harry, please be careful now. Watch your back._

_Tom_

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_I am sorry, but I have reached the end of my resources. With the information that you have given me there is nothing more I can find about how the chamber of secrets could possibly be affecting your school._

_What I have found is this._

_The chamber of secrets was built by Salazar Slytherin. Only he and his decedents could control the beast within the chamber. It was set there to protect the school in times of need._

_Given that parseltounge was Slytherin's most coveted gift it is likely that whatever is in the chamber is a snake of some manner this would justify why only you can hear the voice. Given how you have described the attacks there are very few creatures that it could be._

_As you said that it does in fact relate to the chamber. I am using what I could find about it._

_Shadow viper's can control their venom so to paralyze_

_Magical Burmese Venomous pythons can cause unhealable bites, hypnotize victims and crush them._

_Quetzalcoatls are venomous and can disappear with out a trace they can apperate where wizards can not.._

_Baslisks are venomous and have a killing gaze, if their eyes are seen but not directly it can cause petrifaction. They can get to enormous sizes._

_Of coarse it could also be a wizard casting a spell on random students._

_As of right now it would seem that a wizard would be the most likely bee the cause of your school's troubles. I don't know what kind of protections your school has on it but I imagine that at least some of them are the same as mine. Each one of my ideas has holes in its logic._

_If it was a wizard they shouldn't be able to apperate in a school. They would have left a magical signature, and they would have been caught or seen at the crime, this would not explain why only you could hear the voice leading to the attack._

_If it was a shadow viper there would have been bite marks on the victims. Also it would have no way to reduce a camera to a melted mass._

_A magical Burmese Venomous could hypnotize the victim to paralyze it but it would not be able to last long term as petrifaction does._

_A Quetzalcoatl has the capability to appear and disappear at will but yet again there were no bite marks._

_The most likely cause is a basilisk but they are very large even newly hatched they are the roughly the size of a large constrictor. With any further age they are monstrously large. I can see no way at all for one to be hidden._

_I am sorry Harry I can not be of more help. What ever you do please don't go look for anything, if someone else is controlling snake it might not listen to you. don't go sneaking around the corridors anymore Harry if for nothing more than my piece of mind. Things just seem to be getting more dangerous for you. I truly wish that my research hadn't fallen into this direction._

_I know you wanted to protect that boy from being bitten but exposing our gift like that has put you in danger. I know you don't consider it dark but your school will. Your school seems to be very light magic oriented please don't go anywhere you can be cornered stay with your friends don't give them any way to blame you for it._

_I wish I could do more for you._

_Stay safe my friend._

_Tom_

Harry looked at Tom's letter and clutched it close to his chest. Tom was brilliant but even he couldn't figure out what was happening at Hogwarts. But he had ideas that made everything make sense. Even if he couldn't figure out everything he gave them starting points.

But it also scared him, he knew things were only going to get worse. It was just how things went for him. Tom had been the first good thing in his life and sometimes it seemed as though he would be the only.

Harry could only pray that Justin and Nick were the last. That it was only a wizard playing mean tricks on people. But he could feel that this would not be the case.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_Its worse now. Not only do they all think that it was me but the boy that I stopped the snake from biting got attacked this afternoon. I wish you were here Tom, I feel so alone even with everyone around. I'm scared Tom. I'm happy everyone is leaving for Christmas then they wont stare at me like I am about to kill them._

_Harry_

Tom could only stare at Harry's letter. He wished as much as she did that he could be there with her. How could her schoolmates even think that she would harm them. He knew if the situation arose she would give her life for any of their's. They weren't worth her time in any manner

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_You are never alone even when everyone else leaves I wont, I care for you. your class mates are fools for even thinking that you would do them harm even for a moment. You are far too gentle for your own good._

_Tom_

Harry sighed happily at Tom's letter at least he always had him. At least someone believed him. Tom was really wonderful sometimes even if he had a temper he had never once aimed it at him. Even when Tom had cursed him it had been to make things better.

Days rolled on and it was nearly Christmas before anyone knew it and Harry had found something just perfect for his friend.

* * *

><p><em>Hi Tom,<em>

_I have a gift for you, I found something about the way your magic works. I copied the book with the charm you taught me. When you read it you will understand. But don't ever worry I am still your friend. I ordered something from an owl catalog for you. I had to use a different name so nobody thinks any worse about me. Just remember no matter what you are special to me._

_Happy Christmas, Birthday, and New Year,_

_Harry_

_P.S. don't open this where everybody else can see._

Tom looked at the package that Hedwig had carried. It was small and apparently shrunken. But it was no problem to him. He carried Hedwig and the package from the great hall and into the dungeons where the Slytherin dorms resided.

As he sat on his bed he looked at the items that Harry had sent him. His Harry was clever, so very clever. She had sent him books containing higher level dark spells as well as a book on affinities. She had found what he couldn't.

He carefully enlarged the books that she had sent him. They were all quite beautifully bound in varying shades of soft leather. They were a wonderful gift.

He almost laughed when he saw the name that the dark arts books had been addressed to.

_Raven Thomas_

He was quit sore to the fact that he still hadn't enough money to get her a gift as well. She was precious to him and he couldn't give her anything more than what he always did. Next year would be different; he would make sure of it.

* * *

><p>Draco went back up to the great hall. Vince and Greg were missing. That set of cousins could get into anything.<p>

Draco searched the corridors for the two of them they were younger than he was, he was supposed to look after them.

Finally as he was backtracking he saw them, they were being interrogated by one of the Weasleys. He called over to them and they looked completely confused at him.

'_I never knew Greg wore glasses.'_

"What are you two doing I've been looking everywhere for you. Were you in the great hall this whole time?"

The pair quickly nodded.

"Whatever just come along." With that he began his trek back to the Slytherin common room.

As Draco gracefully slid himself down on a couch he noticed an open copy of the Prophet.

"Would you get a load of this, Weasel's father is being fined for that flying car." All of the sudden Vince stood up with his face scrunched up as if he was in pain.

"What's the matter with you?"

"It's his stomach." Greg offered trying to excuse his cousin's behavior . Of coarse it would be, Vince could never restrain his sweet tooth.

"Father says that Dumbledore was the worst thing to happen to Hogwarts."

"You're wrong!" Greg said loudly. It had made him jump it was so sudden.

"You mean there's someone worse than Dumbledore?"

"Harry Potter?" of coarse he would think that.

"No he's strange but Dumbledore is still worse. I mean really people think that he's the heir. A blind man could see that he doesn't have the guts to be behind the attacks. Of coarse Dumbledore is trying to hush them all up."

"Father says its only a matter of time before Dumbledore is gone."

"What why!" this time it was Greg who shot up. "Sorry." He sat back down softly.

"Because of the chamber. Honestly Greg what else would it be?"

"But who could have opened it?"

"I've told you before I don't know. But father did tell me that it has been opened before. He said that it was fifty years ago and a girl died last time. Honestly this time it would probably be Granger. Always putting her nose where it doenst belong, insulting people."

Vince shot back up again and Greg pulled him back down. He really did look like he was in pain.

"Maybe she didn't mean it. You said some mean things to her as well."

"Don't remind me." Draco leaned his head back, he was glad he had stayed at school this year if word had gotten to his mother he would be in unbelievable amounts of trouble. As his thought about how narrowly he had avoided that confrontation he could hear faint whispers from Vince and Greg. Then the two of them bolted towards the exit.

"Where are you two going?"

"Hospital wing." Greg called back. Oh well at least they would get Vince taken care of.

* * *

><p><em>Hi Tom,<em>

_All I really have to say is that polyjuice potion has got to be the most disgusting thing ever. Its even worse than Scel-O-Grow._

_I had found your book when we were looking for the one containing the directions for polyjuice. I hope you enjoyed your Christmas. Now that I know something that can keep your interest I know what to get you next time. But like I said before no matter what happens I am still your friend. I don't care if you use them just don't hurt any one with them. And don't get into trouble with the either._

_Harry_

Tom shook his head at this, Harry was leaving things out things again. For what purpose could she possibly have for taking polyjuice potion? But no matter if she was writing about how awful the taste was then she was obviously alright.

He was glad that she said what she did. His magic was innately dark. He could not change that, the dark spells came to him easier than their light counterparts. He learned quickly from the book she had gifted him that nearly all of the spells that Hogwarts taught were neutral. Any witch or wizard could perform them. The few that weren't neutral were light spells. The ones that he had difficulty performing, some of them he could not do at all. Hogwarts was not taught in a way for people like him. Dark magic was frowned upon.

Tom was thankful that Harry was so caring that she would not abandon him for his magic being dark. He didn't know what he would do if she did, he still remembered the pit that he had fallen into when she had forgotten him to the whiles of the mirror. He didn't know what he would do if she was really gone.

Hedwig hooted, she was delighted that her master's suitor was learning about himself and his own magic. After all it was a great step in a young wizard's growing up. One day he would realize how special her master was to him, he was already starting to. Hopefully he would see it all before it was too late.

* * *

><p>The adventures with polyjuice and the mishaps caused by it had come to a close and everything was back to normal.<p>

Almost.

After seeing Hermione in the hospital wing they came across Myrtle's bathroom, flooded again.

Tom watched the boy find his book, he was in his spirit form, invisible to all eyes. He watched the pick up his book and question the ghost. God she was annoying the only thing that had changed from when she was alive was that she could carry trough with her voyeuristic tendencies more easily.

The boy could be useful, at least until he could call the girl back. Perhaps he could learn something from the boy.

Harry looked at the little book, it was well worn and bound soft aged black leather. On it's cover embossed in faded gold lettering was a name.

'T. M. Riddle'. '_it looks just like the one I got Tom last year.'_

Harry's vision blurred for a moment before returning to normal.

He leafed through the book only to find it blank

Later on back in the boy's dormitory Harry studied it more carefully.

_**My name is Harry Potter**_ Harry wrote carefully in the blank book. After a moment he watched in awe as his ink was absorbed into the diary.

Tom who sat in the diary's replica of the Slytherin common room stared at the parchment on his table. The inkwell beside it was filling, just barely. It only gave as much as it got but at the moment it was nearly full from the writings of the girl.

_Hello Harry Potter._

_My name is Tom Riddle._

_**Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?**_

_Yes._

_**Can you tell me?**_

_No._

_But I can show you._

Tom watched as Potter paraded around his memory. As much as he resembled his Harry he would much rather have had her there than him. A petite sixteen year old girl over a tiny twelve year old boy. But he had that same wonder of life about him that Tom's Harry did.

It was what made her one of the only good things in the world. It was a shame that he was the enemy.

_Why do you not tell anyone what you have found it would seem that you would like to._

_**I would but I promised a friend that I wouldn't sneak around. He told me to stay safe. I really don't want to break a promise to him. Besides everyone I could tell is still asleep.**_

_**I have to go now Tom, I have to write a letter to my pen pal. **_Tom's mind came to a screeching halt at that comment. Why did he have to be so similar to her?

_I had a pen pal once._

_**Really?**_

_Yes she was a very beautiful woman. We grew up writing to each other._

_**That's how me and my Tom are. **_Tom felt ever so annoyed at his commonplace name at that moment. Why did he have to share a name with a friend of Potter.

_What do you feel for your Tom?_

_**I don't know I never thought about it. He's my best friend, he's there when I need someone. He's always been there. I wouldn't know what to do without him.**_

_How interesting._ Why did he have to sound so like her right then? Why?

_**How about your pen pal what was she like?**_

_She was amazing in every way. The world was against her and she would never hurt anyone if she could help it. She had a heart of gold._

_**You seem sad talking about her. What happened?**_

_She was a half blood and an orphan, her muggle uncle killed her. _Saying what had happened to his Harry was still hard, and it was made all the more so by the fact that the boy asking about her looked so like her.

_**Oh I'm sorry.**_ Talking to the boy made him feel like he was talking to Harry again. He could imagine it was her writing so easily. But it was all brought crashing down around his ears as the topic was of her death.

_Don't be its been a long time since then._

_**Did you love her?**_

_More than the world. She was the one who gave me the idea for this diary you know._

_**Really? She must have been really smart.**_ His Harry wasn't just smart, she was amazing. The whole world was against her and she faced it and won. She took every impossible odd that was thrown at her but a single muggle had snuffed all of that out.

_She was. Though quite often she didn't see it._ How could this boy be so different than he thought? He was annoyingly similar to Harry. When he finally met the boy face to face things would be very interesting. Then he would learn where he had failed before and correct the mistake.

* * *

><p><em>Hi Tom,<em>

_You would never believe what I found. It's a diary but instead of putting words in it the bloke who owned it put his memories it's pretty cool. It's a really interesting idea. That way nobody that you don't trust can get into your diary and even if they do they can't get anything out of it to blackmail you with._

_You could try it with the diary I got you for Christmas last year._

_Harry_

Tom shook his head. Find Harry and trouble wont be far behind. As much as he cared for her, her ability to make things interesting was unbelievable.

_Harry,_

_My first question to your find is were you wandering after hours again?_

_If you were I am again disappointed I would have thought that you would have learned with last year's disasters that wandering after curfew will get you into unneeded trouble._

_If you weren't then I really must ask where you found this thing. If something has that degree of charm work put into it would the owner not miss it? Be careful something is quite off with having an item containing that level of ingenuity lying around._

_Tom_

Harry read Tom's letter and thought about what he said. Now that he thought about it Tom was right Riddle's diary was rather odd. Someone had tried to get rid of it. But why? Were Ron and Hermione right and the diary was harmful? Or were all his friends just paranoid?

No, that couldn't be, Tom was right there was something very suspicious about that diary.

With that in mind Harry returned to his dorm as quickly as he could he was going to question Riddle himself.

* * *

><p>Tom was pleased, he had called the girl back to him just in time it seemed. Somehow Potter had begun to be suspicious of his diary.<p>

He watched threw Ginny's eyes as the boy panicked over his diary going missing. It really was frustrating that the only way he could view the world around him was to eat at his own energy to pull together his spirit form that couldn't even leave the vicinity of his diary, or he could look through his host's eyes. It really was a pitiful existence that he would be glad to be through with after all was said and done.

Soon he would have enough power to form his body, very soon it would all be over.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_Add Acrumantula on the growing list of magical creatures that I hate being around. Spiders should never ever get to be the size of a pony._

_I really think our gamekeeper has a few issues with his ideas of what makes a good pet. Apparently that is why he was expelled when he was in school. He had a baby Acrumantula in a cupboard and it apparently killed a girl._

_He was arrested under suspicion of being involved with everything that's been happening._

_Even if the thing did kill that girl, its not possible for it to have been behind these current attacks. An Acrumantula doesn't fit any of the descriptions you gave and it seemed not to have left its hallow in a very long time._

_I am never listening to our gamekeeper's advice again._

_Follow the spiders he says. He forgot to mention the don't forget to run for your lives bit._

_Sorry for the rant Tom_

_I'm still really upset Hermione was attacked. She's in the hospital wing now, she had a mirror with her and I don't even know why. I'm going back there after I send this letter to you._

_Things are bad here. I've never wanted you to be here with me more than right now. People are still blaming me. They whisper and say that I attacked her they call me a monster, they say that I would have killed her if I had the chance. They don't even consider that I was at my Quidditch game when she was attacked. I'm glad Ron doesn't think it was me anymore. I feel really bad Ron likes her I think. I don't know if he realizes it though._

_God everything is so horrible now. I need to find a way to fix all of this._

_Harry_

Tom wished he could ease his friend's pain. He knew all too well the desperate heartache when everyone around you considered you to be their monster. When you were the boogieman in the closet and the world turned on you, he knew all too well how cold those days in the world were.

He had been very young when he learned that no one was coming for him, that no one was going to save him. But his Harry had she had saved him from the world, she was his angel, his one good thing in the world that its grime couldn't tarnish. The black-heartedness of the world made her shine all the brighter.

* * *

><p>Harry rushed to his dorm Hermione had had the answer, Tom had been right. He wouldn't hide from Tom not this if he went with Lockhart he might not come back but Ginny needed him. He wouldn't let her die.<p>

Hedwig watched him from the windowsill as he penned out his letter. Her master was being foolish for the red fool's nestmate.

He quickly handed her the letter and told her 'For Tom' before he bolted from the room.

_Sorry Tom,_

_I'm about to do something really stupid. If I don't write to you in the next few days something went wrong and I will either be in the hospital wing or dead. Hedwig will stay with you for a while just in case._

_I love you Tom, you're like a brother to me, you are my best friend. If this is the end I just want you to know that you mean everything to me._

_Harry_

Tom's heart stopped as he read the short note. Hedwig glared at the letter he was holding as if wishing it to cease being true.

No he wouldn't allow it Harry couldn't die she was _his_ friend. He would never let her die. She had the devil's luck she would live he knew she would. she would live and he would scold her for being so foolish before giving her all the heart he had. She was his everything. And nothing would take her from him.

"You will stay here for the night I will send you in the morning back to her. If she has really gotten herself killed you may return to me. If she hasn't stay with her until she is coherent. " With that the pearly bird nodded her head harshly. Her master was going to be scolded quite thoroughly if he lived and he had better live.

* * *

><p>Tom looked at the girl he was draining the life from. She was pitiful really. Everything about her was plain and ordinary she wrote over and over again how <em>horrible <em>her life was. How she was always just her brothers' sister.

She knew nothing of horrible, nothing at all. He knew it , Harry had known it. And never once had either of them cried as much as this child did over nothing. Being her family's only daughter she was hardly scolded, she ate when she liked, and never once had her family raised a hand or wand to her. She complained because she wasn't noticed!

Perhaps he had merely been lucky to have known someone like Harry. She was hardly ordinary in anyway. He knew now that fifty years had passed since she died but his mind didn't age in the diary. Her death was still a painful wound on his heart and a failure in his mind. He had split his soul when her death was still fresh in his mind. He had hoped that with his soul split he wouldn't feel the pain but obviously that was not the case.

He watched the boy run up to the girl's form as it lay on the damp cold of the chamber's floor.

"she wont wake."

"Tom we have to get out of here." Potter looked up at him with his big green eyes, oh if only his Harry had looked upon him like that even just once. Eyes so full of trust and compassion, the boy even worried for him, how noble.

His Harry and Potter were really very similar. So much so in coloring and appearance. Potter could almost be mistaken for a girl himself really. This was one of the times Tom cursed the shallow gene pool of the wizarding world, for making his enemy look so similar to his Harry. If there was a god it certainly hated him for not only giving him someone so similar in appearance but identical in name.

He exposed who he had become, shock and hurt filled his eyes. How many times in her short life had that same look filled his Harry's eyes? How many times had she been in danger and no one had been there to help her or care?

Fate would be cruel if it gave her back to him that way.

But the boy had to be stopped from interfering he was not going back to the book again. One eternity of silence was enough for him, he would live again. He called upon the basilisk to detain the boy and keep him from the girl.

Ferrous charged at the boy nearly striking but Dumbledore's bird appeared swooping and diving upon Ferrous. He fought valiantly against his natural enemy but in one swoop its aim struck true.

* * *

><p>Ferrous screamed in pain. How he loathed the summer-born-again, it attacked him as he protected his great master's heir. How dare it try and harm his master's hatchling in his own lair. The trespasser would pay.<p>

As he charged the bird his master's heir commanded him to get the man-child. It was trying to attack his master's heir as well.

He chased the man-child through his labyrinth, blinded and in pain but his sense of smell still remained. He hunted him as the man-child fled through his tunnels as a frightened rabbit would. He stalked the man-child until he had found himself back in the hall.

As the man-child fell he struck. His fang sliding into the man-child's flesh but as it did he felt a pain splitting the roof of his mouth

"**I am sorry young master." **With that he knew no more.

* * *

><p>Tom felt righteous fury at the death of his ancestor's familiar. The boy had killed a two thousand year old snake. But Ferrous's death was not in vain the boy would die soon. There was no hope for him now.<p>

"you are dying. The basilisk may be gone but his venom still flows in your veins. Even Dumbledore's bird realizes this. He's already morning for you." but instead of continuing to hiss in pain his breathing steadied.

"Of coarse phoenix tears have healing powers. How could I have forgotten?" How could it have slipped his mind at all, his memory was eidetic it was not natural for him to forget things like that. Harry had told him that when they were younger, Harry had told him many things when they were younger. She twelve and he thirteen when she had told him about phoenix tears. It had been at the end of their second year after she had encountered a basilisk.

Wait… No. it wasn't possible. It couldn't be. How could they be the same? How?

He started towards Harry, his wound was nearly healed now. How could he have been so foolish. How could it be possible? No magic was stable enough to travel that spanse of time.

Tom stopped in his tracks. No magic was stable enough, children's magic wasn't stable at all. He studied Harry for a moment, it seemed his eyes were coming back into focus. But there was nothing in them but fear, there was no spark of recognition at all. Was he wrong? Was he still clinging to the idea that she still lived so drastically that he was willing to see her in his enemy?

No that's not right there were far to many similarities, too many coincidences. No Tom wasn't wrong at all he knew he wasn't. Harry Potter was _his _Harry.

With that thought a haze seemed to lift from his mind. The hundreds of inconsistencies and similarities Harry Potter had displayed all through the year. His mind felt like there had been a lag before that was no longer present. And his memory contained a single memory that had not been present before. The girl had been visited by Dumbledore and a mind web had been placed on her. The web had been on his own mind since the first time he possessed her. He didn't know what was more shocking Dumbledore's knowledge of his diary or that his Harry was alive, young but alive.

But how could he not recognize him? Harry was twelve now, Abraxaus had sent pictures of him when they were that young. It should be glaringly obvious he didn't change that much from twelve to sixteen. He should be able to recognize him. He had been the one to gift his diary to him if not himself then that at the very least. Why didn't he realize? Why? Why couldn't he?

In his turmoil he was five steps from Harry. He looked down at the boy, someone he had fallen in love with. Harry's eyes were clear and focused now, Tom followed his gaze to its rest on his diary.

"Harry! No!" but Tom's voice was too late, Harry had pulled the diary closer and raised the basilisk fang before slamming it into the book. Tom could feel tears of ink slipping down his face as his form was ripped apart. He tried to speak again but his voice was gone.

"_I love you Harry." _He tried to yell but really the words were only mouthed as his form disintegrated into nothing but vapor.

As Riddle's form faded Harry felt his vision blurred once more this time it was from his eyes watering. He was crying. But he couldn't reason why. He half carried Ginny who was only beginning to gain lucidity. Fawks fluttered in the air before him offering his tail feathers for Harry to take hold of.

After all of them had left the chamber Harry passed out a torn leather bound book clutched to his chest and unshed tears in his eyes. With the arrival of Ginny and the amnesiac Lockhart his plight was largely ignored and he was simply carried to the infirmary while they were fussed over and sent to St. Mungos

* * *

><p>Harry awoke in the hospital wing with tears in his eyes but he didn't know why he didn't remember a dream that could have caused him to cry.<p>

He looked around the ward only to see his own snowy owl perched on his bedside table. Hedwig gave him a very disgruntled look before holding out her talons.

_Harry,_

_I swear to magic itself if you ever even think about doing something that will get you killed I will find you and chain you to my side and never let you go. My friend you are all there is for me. You and magic are the only good things in my world. You are the only one that makes me care._

_Tom_

Harry wanted to sooth his friends worry and comfort him but he could only do so much in a letter. but he would try he was damned either way, Tom was going to be pissed.

* * *

><p><em>Hi Tom,<em>

_I am once again in the hospital wing. No I am not even going to begin to tell you what I did. Just that it wasn't pleasant._

_You were right though it was a basilisk; it had been using the pipes to get around._

_Did you know phoenixes' tears have healing powers. Including the ability to neutralize powerful venoms. They don't help with scaring though but I've been looking up glamors so it really wont be visible. If I get good at them maybe I wont get so many odd looks in summer._

Tom felt himself breath a sigh of relief. She was alive. hurt but alive.

He reread one of the lines to make sure that he had seen what he thought he saw. _'No...she wouldn't... she_ would.' Tom shook his head in a mix of annoyance and disbelief.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_Please tell me I am mistaken and you did not in fact get bitten by a basilisk. Tell me that my mind is playing tricks on me and that is not what just happened this year._

_Tom_

Harry looked at Tom's letter and cringed a little, Tom was smart he should have known that he would figure it out.

* * *

><p><em>Hi Tom,<em>

_Sorry but you know I hate lying to you. and you know you are hardly ever wrong. Sorry. I really had to though Ron's sister would have died if I hadn't. I listened to you for the most part I didn't go wandering off alone or even wander the castle at night. I thought I did really good this year._

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_While I am pleased you wont outright lie to me I thought you had stopped hiding things from me._

_You are right I am hardly ever wrong which means you should listen to me when I tell you something isn't wise. That includes risking your life for others who hardly care that you did. They only care that they live not what you did for them to continue to do so._

_Please Harry no more hiding things. No more I cant… I don't ever want another letter telling me that you might die. We've discussed this before but I want this to be the last time we discuss this, no more hiding anything. No more near suicide. I've told you before no life is worth more than your own. let others handle them the only thing i want is for you to stay safe._

_Tom_

Harry's heart broke as he read his friend's pleas. Tom was proud, ever so proud, for him to bow his head low enough to beg was a monumental display. He must have suffered the whole night or how ever long he had been unconscious. He hadn't stopped to consider what his letter would do to his friend. He hadn't stopped to realize that Tom needed him as much as he needed Tom.

* * *

><p>Dumbledore watched Harry answer his letter from Tom. He gave no sign that he knew who Tom Riddle had been. It seemed that his mind web had kept the memories from being linked. He had no idea that the boy he had befriended was the same boy who would become Lord Voldemort.<p>

He smiled carefully as he spoke to Harry about the events in the chamber. His spell seemed to have worked magnificently even the one he had placed on Ginny to prevent Tom's knowing seemed to have worked. At least until the boy's mind had come up with some sort of irrefutable proof of who Harry was to him. But Harry had looked right at him knowing his face and never known he was his friend.

The wizarding world was safe with his spell in place. The only down side to it was that Harry seemed to be the one giving Tom ideas and shaping the man he would one day become. Harry's view of the world was grayed and Tom strayed from his flock.

The Riddle of the diary had already long been in love with Harry, while Voldemort still suffered the loss of his beloved. Harry's Tom would soon fall prey to his own obsessive love as well. But thankfully Harry had proven that he could face down such a warped and twisted love and prevail.

Some day very soon Tom Riddle and Lord Voldemort were to die by their lover's hand and the world would be much better for it.

Harry Potter and Tom Riddle were dangerous together.


	4. Year 3

A/N: for those who are deeply confused by the last chapter Harry is alive. Diary Tom is Harry's Tom further down the line. Harry's Tom is still alive. And twelve year old Harry is still alive. But as far as Tom's future self knows when they are sixteen/seventeen something happens.

the other thing as far as this story is concerned when a soul dies it goes to the train station from the last book. when a horcrux is destroyed it would go there as well but it cant fully die until there are no other parts of it left living.

Warnings: side parings will start developing- right now the main side pairing will be Sirius/ Remus (because I said so),

Side pairing that will develop will be Hermione/Fred (apparently JK had intended that to be in the canon but she went with Ron instead. I rather prefer her with Fred the even each other out.) And yes to all very soon there will be awkward hormonal moments in the boys' lives. I cannot and will not write lemons but there will most definitely be some references to less than child friendly thoughts. If any of you want to try your hand at a lemon with them or make a spin off of this. I say go for it.

With that said. Let the chapter begin.

YEAR 3. Go!

* * *

><p>When Harry Potter returned to his home Vernon Dursley was not a happy man. He realized that the boy would be coming back every year. What was the point in keeping him if he wasn't going to be useful but a couple months of the year.<p>

Now that he knew the freak couldn't do any of his nonsense without being expelled he would make him pay for his keep.

* * *

><p><em>Hi Tom,<em>

_So I am mostly free this summer. Uncle Vernon didn't replace the bars. Hedwig can come and go as she pleases. The locks on my door are all still there but Ron's brothers taught me how to pick locks. They haven't even said anything about what happened last year._

_But I have to be on my best behavior so that I can get my uncle to sign the permission slip for me to go to the village near the castle._

_Harry_

Tom sat on his bed at the orphanage looking over Harry's letter while Hedwig sat perched on his windowsill. He knew that the only reason he had his tiny barren room to himself was because Mrs. Coal didn't trust him with the other children.

He had been avoiding Mrs. Coal and the other children since he had returned from Hogwarts.. The only one he couldn't seem to do so with was one of the youngest children, Libby.

The two year old seemed to be fascinated with him. She would seek him out and try to take up his time.

"hi Tum." _' And queue pest.'_ Tom ignored the small child that had just entered his space. He couldn't simply harm her and have her listen. He had already tried and she simply smiled and clung to him all the more.

"Tum. Watsu doin?"

"leave me be Libby."

Libby looked around his small barren room and her eyes rested on his box containing Harry's letters and pictures.

"Tum. Tum." Libby pulled on Tom's pants leg.

"I said leave Libby."

"Bu' Tum, who's tha'?"

"Her name is Harry. Now leave."

"I like you Tum." Libby climbed up onto Tom's bed and hugged him around the middle. "you'wer nice." Tom looked down at the toddler who had the gall to hug him.

* * *

><p><em>Hello Harry,<em>

_I am glad that you are doing so well this summer. As always I will only ask you to be careful. Watch your uncle carefully this summer my friend. Something about this does not sit well._

_Currently I am being pestered by one of the younger children. She will not leave me be. Ever since I returned from school she has not left my side. I've been sending her on useless ventures to keep her away from me. I really have no idea what to do with her. She tries to hang onto me wherever I go. I find it more and more annoying the longer it persists._

_Your opinion on how to solve this would be very appreciated._

_Tom_

Harry laughed at the image in his mind of his composed friend being followed like a mother duck. It was really quite adorable to think. Tom had no idea what to do about a little girl.

* * *

><p><em>I think she likes you then Tom. She's an orphan too, maybe she thinks you make a perfect big brother. How old is she? She sounds pretty young if she's that clingy.<em>

_Harry_

"Thank you Harry for being so obvious." Tom rolled his eyes. As much as he cared for Harry he couldn't help but find that she was not as helpful as he would have liked in his plight.

* * *

><p><em>She is two and a half. She was recently brought here. And she says to tell you that you are pretty. I cant get rid of her. All she seems to do is want to hang on me. I do not like it in the slightest. She is currently trying to climb up into my lap like some sort of pet.<em>

_I do not know how to deal with a child as small as she is. If she thinks me her big brother it is only her own delusion. I am in no way shape or form someone's brother._

_Tom_

Harry shook his head at what Tom's new 'baby sister' had said. He knew he wasn't all that attractive. He was short, scrawny, and even kind of girly looking with too large eerily bright green eyes and ugly broken glasses. He knew he wasn't appealing, but he could hope that he would grow out of it.

Tom's hopelessness when it came to a toddler was actually rather funny. His genius of a friend was thwarted by a two year old.

* * *

><p><em>She sounds adorable. You should help look after her if she likes you so much, you know how lonely it can get not having anyone. Besides as young as she is I imagine that just getting to an orphanage would be rather scary. I bet to her you look like the safest person to be around. Nothing phases you on the outside so that would give you great big brother points.<em>

_Laughing at you._

_Harry._

_P.S. this entire situation is adorable._

Tom scowled. He had no desire to play babysitter to a toddler. That is what the caretakers were for. But Harry asked it of him for now he would humor her.

* * *

><p><em>Alright Harry, I will look after her. But I still believe her to be a drooling nuisance. And I have no desire for 'big brother points'.<em>

_And you my dear friend can keep all notions of how 'adorable' she is to yourself._

_Tom_

Harry smiled at Tom's letter even as the pain in his side bloomed. Writing like this about silly little irreverent things made him feel good. Tom was there for him even when he wasn't getting into trouble or had danger licking at his heels. Tom didn't even know who he was to the wizarding world, he wasn't Harry Potter's friend at all. He was the only friend to Harry who lived in a cupboard. Harry's smile grew a little brighter at that, and he clutched the seemingly pointless letter a little tighter.

* * *

><p><em>I'm sure most big brother's would say the same thing about their baby siblings. But she still sounds cute. Maybe if you do things with her like read her a story or something she wont bother you so much. For what its worth I think you would have been a wonderful big brother. After all you've looked after me all for nearly six years now.<em>

_Fine I'll keep my ideas to myself. Even if its true. You make a wonderful mother duck._

_Harry_

Tom just shook his head and scowled, he was not a mother duck.

Harry would never realize that she was special. It seemed that it never once crossed her mind that her uniqueness was what had drawn him in. she knew he was not kind to everyone in fact she knew quite well that he was vindictive and that he could be cruel. But he would never be that way to her, no for her he would do what ever he could to make things better. For her he would do anything to keep what was his, he would never give up his friend.

He looked over Harry's letter once more but it was then that he noticed a small smear of red at the letter's corner. It was only a small amount but it still signled that _his_ friend had been hurt. Worry began to fill him. With Harry where there was one wound there were generally many more. She had been using his simple complaint as a means of distraction. _She_ had distracted _him._

'_how Slytherin of you my friend. But a time and a place. Now is neither.'_ He quickly wrote a note to his friend and pulled a small box of magical first aid supplies from his trunk. He had returned prepared this year. He strung the letter and the box together with a length of twine and gave them to Hedwig.

The snowy owl hooted her appreciation and nuzzled his hand. Her large golden eyes spoke volumes filled with her gratefulness. Her master's suitor was good for him.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_While I approve of your Slytherin traits you should have told me before he drew blood._

_I gathered these in case of emergencies before I left school for the holidays. Everything is labeled. Use as much of it as you require._

_Tom_

* * *

><p>Later on Tom sat in his floor working on his esseys while he waited for Harry's response.<p>

"Boy! What do you think you are doing!"

"my schoolwork." The remark was simple yet at the same time it had a scathing tone of self-importance behind it. Tom's tone spoke a thousand words, most of them saying how little the middle aged woman mattered.

Mrs. Coal did not take kindly to the sass of one thirteen year old boy. He had always been her problem child. And now here he was curled up on his floor with papers and books organized around him as one of her youngest napped soundly in his bed.

"This is not proper at all Tom. That little girl should not be in your bed."

"She fell asleep there. I wasn't about to carry her and I am as I said before doing my schoolwork.

"Don't you back talk me boy! Why is she in here with you what did you do!"

"I read her a short story so she would leave me be. "

"we'll see about that." Mrs. Coal marched over to the sleeping toddler and shook her awake.

"Deary you need to wake up." Tom watched loathingly as the matron gently woke the child. Never once had she been like that to him, never once. When he was small he had overheard her rant quite drunkenly about how unnerving his eyes were. She hated their dark blue depths with a fiery passion. He remembered the oily laugh of the false priest who had been in the room. Worst of all he remembered being helpless. Had he not had magic he might not have survived to meet Harry. Tom shook himself from his thoughts and looked on at the scene before him without any more thoughts on the matter.

Libby opened her blurry eyes to the rest of the room's occupants.

"now sweety. Can you tell me how you got here?"

"Tum read me a stowree. Hawy told 'im to. Can I keep 'im? I wan' a big bwruder." Her doe like eyes sparkled in excitement. But even with the child's word the matron still looked upon Tom in distrust.

"we will see little one now why don't we take you to play with the other children surely you would like that."

"can Tum read me more stowrees?"

"perhaps later." The old woman crooned softly avoiding the fact that if she had her way Tom wouldn't even be allowed anywhere near the other children.

* * *

><p>Later that night Hedwig finally returned to Tom's window.<p>

_Tom,_

_Don't fret. I'm fine really it was just a bit of glass in my hands is all. Dudley had pushed me while I was making breakfast and a glass shattered. My hands caught me before I landed on it._

_Have a little faith. I would have told you if it was anything really serious._

_Thanks for helping though. I really appreciate it. Hedwig seemed to be really worried about the blood._

_I mean what I say I'm fine now Tom. It was only a few deep cuts and a heavy bruise on my side where he pushed me._

_Harry_

* * *

><p><em>Sorry Tom but things are not looking up this summer. Aunt Marge is staying here. And yes she brought the demon dog with her. I look forward to spending a few nights up a tree. –note my sarcasm here-<em>

_but as long as I behave uncle Vernon said he would sign my permission slip to go to the village._

_Harry_

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_I hope that somehow you can avoid that wretch enough to stay out of the foliage._

_My school has a similar situation in place but I had Martha sign it within the week I got the form._

_Tom_

* * *

><p><em>Hi Tom,<em>

_I've been doing what you said. Even though it hasn't helped much. Aunt Marge is just as bad as Uncle Vernon except she adds insult to injury._

_I know you don't like me making jokes at my expense but I am trying to find something that makes me happy right now and irony seems to be it. I'll send you the medi-kit after break is over. I'm very thankful now that I forgot to send it back to you with Hedwig._

_I really don't like this dog. Who keeps dogs that go specifically out of their way to terrorize a person? It makes no sense._

_But she does keep going on and on about how a person's worth is all about their breeding. Mostly she says that about me. She says that my parents were no good so I must not be either. But I think the opposite might be true because both she and uncle Vernon act very similar._

_I'm rambling now aren't I?"_

_Sorry._

_You're the only one who's been writing to me for a while now. Ron and his family won a contest and are in Egypt. Hermione and her parents are in Paris. Them telling me where they were was the last I heard from them. But I'm glad only two more days till Aunt Marge leaves. Forty-eight hours._

_Harry_

Tom read over Harry's letter, he was not happy about Harry's joke on her own treatment. She knew he hated it when she made light on her suffering. She never got over that foolish idea that everything was her fault, that she had to apologize for her very existence.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_Don't worry. Your rambles are generally quite informative. Your schoolmates don't know about your family do they? One day you will have to tell them eventually my friend._

_You may keep the medi-kit as long as you need it. I want you to be able to have some form of medical aid. Just for my piece of mind. I do not like two versions of your uncle being in the same house as you. if it gets really bad there is bone-mend potion and ske-o-grow at the bottom. When I gathered it together I simply collected a bit of everything in case of emergency._

_Tom_

* * *

><p><em>Tom<em>

_I really goofed up bad this time; I thought they were going to expel me for sure. I blew up uncle Vernon's sister. She inflated like a balloon and floated away. But I was so mad I didn't care, she insulted my mum and dad. She said that they deserved what they got. She said things about my mum._

_I couldn't take anymore of it. It hurt Tom, when I sleep sometimes I can hear her scream. And green light. I didn't mean to but I couldn't listen to her anymore and I just… I'm glad I wasn't expelled for this._

_I took this thing called the Night Bus to an inn and now I'm staying there until school starts back up. The only problem is that my uncle never signed my permission form so I can't go to the village on weekends with everyone else._

_This whole night has been a nightmare. I only even was able to call for the bus on accident a big dog startled me and made me fall over._

_Pray nothing else goes wrong for me will you. Because right now I don't have too much hope for staying out of danger this year._

_Harry_

* * *

><p><em>Harry<em>

_While I am flattered and grateful you put the hag in her place I don't want you to be expelled. Please take care._

_My friend given my upbringing I can only reach two conclusions. Either there is no god o pray to or he simply hates us all. Either way I don't pray. I haven't in many years. But I do hope. With you my dear friend I have come to expect the worst and hope for the best. At least you are away from your family._

_Perhaps it will take your mind off of the events of this summer to learn that I am currently being harassed by the matron now. I did as you asked and took care of the pest. I read to her, it seemed like the least compromising to my dignity. But Mrs. Coal seems to be under the belief that I did something to her. She's always suspicious of me even when I have done no wrong._

_Tom_

Harry smiled at Tom's attempt to lighten the mood once more with the image of him reading to a clingy toddler in his mind. He set Tom's letter down and looked out over Daigon Alley. He was where he belonged.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_This is fantastic I wish I could share it with you. I've been wandering the Alleys since I got here. There are so many wonderful places that I've never noticed before when I was just getting my school things._

_I was pardoned for the accidental magic. I was told that Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia will take me back next summer. So I think my luck evened itself out._

"Damn it." Tom swore at Harry's letter. What moron could have possibly sought out her guardians and remained convinced that they were appropriate? Truly he had no faith in the human race's intellect.

_But I did find out that that evil biting book that I got for my birthday wasn't for helping our gamekeeper with a new pet. It's for my care of magical creatures class. I was really worried for a while. He doesn't really have the best sense of what is dangerous or not._

_I also saw a new broom that was amazing. I had to justify not buying it. After all my broom is really good. I didn't need to have it._

_By the way can you make a list of the books you want. I can get them and we could share. Since I'm here anyway it wouldn't be too much trouble. I've already taken care of all my school things._

_Harry_

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_Your luck, my friend is an anomaly. I'm not sure that your blood isn't gold. I have little faith in humanity if they are truly so stupid to believe that your relatives are adequate as guardians for a magical child._

_While there are a great many books that I would enjoy. I don't want you to spend your money on me. You spend too much on me my friend. there are many things that you need on your own. I am happy you have restraint in your purchases. But I do not want you to acquire books for me you may get some for yourself but your gold is your own. Your trust vault is to last you until you are seventeen._

_Tom_

Harry stared at his friend's letter in confusion. Sometimes having a genius for a friend was tough. Sometimes he had absolutely no clue what Tom was talking about.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_I don't get it why would my blood be gold?_

Tom laughed at his clueless little friend. She really didn't pay attention to her potions books or perhaps she hadn't looked through the ones that he had.

_And don't worry about me spending too much on you I told you they would be for both of us. I like being able to share with you. I already made sure that I didn't spend any on useless things. Books for us to share wouldn't be useless. You read a lot and I could use whatever you can._

_Harry_

Tom felt his brow twitch at his friend's defiance. She was so very mature sometimes and then sometimes she would do things seemingly on a whim. Really he had no idea what to do about it. He knew he was intelligent, hell he knew he was a genius but sometimes Harry was the curveball that stumped him.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_There is a potion that makes the drinker lucky. It also makes them reckless and in large doses can have a stream of bad luck following it to even it all out. The potion looks like molten gold. It is called Felix Felicias._

_The only books that I wish you to buy are for you entirely my friend._

_Tom_

Harry was sure that if Tom wasn't so proper he would have been sticking out his tongue for getting the last word in.

* * *

><p>"Tum bwring me too!" Libby squeeled as she tried to climb into Tom's trunk.<p>

"Stay out of my trunk Libby. You will break things."

"Oh. 'm sawry." The toddler pouted as she did what her 'big brother' said.

"Can you write to me?"

"You cant read there would be no point."

"Miss Mawrtha can you teach me to wread?

"Of coarse I can. I didn't get to do that with Tom you know. He taught himself how to read."

"wreally! Tum's wreally wreally smawrt."

Martha looked proudly at her boy and the orphanage's newest little one. Tom had given up being forceful with her. Apparently his Harry was to be thanked for that. They were so precious Martha decided as she watched Tom pack his trunk and Libby scurry about under foot. Libby tried to put everything in the thirteen year old's room into the box only for it to be removed by Tom and replaced with something that was actually going with him to school. As always he carefully packed the worn wooden box that his dear friend's letters resided in.

Honestly Tom never ceased to surprise her with how neatly he packed everything. Really how many thirteen year old boys knew both how to fold cloths and did so on their own choice.

Martha looked around Tom's room and sighed. The room was barren, cold and empty feeling to her. Not at all like the other children's shared rooms where toys would be lying where they had been left before an interruption or storybooks stacked haphazardly on their shelves. They were all little messes that made them feel lived in. Tom's room was like a cell overlooking the play yard. There were no little non-essential objects that he had bought on their trips, no toys left out, truthfully there were no toys at all. The only thing that seemed plentiful in his room were his books. Second hand science and medical journals were all neatly lining his shelves not a single thing lined his floor or covered his walls. There was nothing in the room that gave it any sense that someone lived there it simply felt like a space. But it had been the space her boy had stayed in since he was five.

She remembered coming to work one day and finding him moved from the communal bedroom with the other boys his age to what was formerly a storage room. No one ever told her why Mrs. Coal had moved Tom, but she knew it had hurt him more than anyone could see. Her boy had never laughed with the other children even as a babe he hardly smiled. But Martha had loved him all the same, she had given him toys on special occasions when she could afford it. But it seemed that he never kept any of them. The only times he ever showed that he could even feel for anyone was when he read Harry's letters.

Martha felt like she owed her whole world to that little girl for making her Tom smile, for making him laugh, and for making him live.

* * *

><p>Tom sat in his compartment alone. There was nothing new about this. The only ones who had even tried to come to his compartment had been first years and they turned away quickly after looking at him. Any of the older students avoided him. They were compelled to just like everyone else he had ever met.<p>

He terrified them. Even if they didn't know why they were afraid, even if consciously he had them all charmed around his finger they still felt that terror. Like a rabbit's terror knowing instinctively that there was a fox crouched outside its burrow.

"Hi Tom." Tom looked up to see the smiling face of Alphard Black the boy with no sense of self preservation whatsoever.

"hello Black."

"your never happy when w come back. I guess its rough for you back home."

"I am plenty content to return to Hogwarts."

"you are more refined than my father and we have fourteen generations of purebloods behind us."

"obviously you missed that notice."

"yeah I guess I did. But Dori and Wally and our other cousins all have that covered."

"were you really ment to be in Slytherin Black? You act like a Gryffindor."

"are you kidding Tom? My family would have killed me if I had been a Gryffindor. I guess its easier if you're a half-blood isn't it."

"where on earth do you get your ideas Black?"

"well its just that we all assumed… I thought you knew. That's why Abraxaus talked to you. we all know you're way to smart to be a muggleborn. And you can cast all those spells you know too."

"I see." With that Tom yet again turned away from the other boy.

* * *

><p>When they got off of the train and met the carriages Tom stood beside a tall Thestral stallion and held his hand to the beast's leathery muzzle. The Thestral nudged his hand as he petted it. He patted the creature's neck once more before climbing into the carriage.<p>

All the older students filed into the great hall and took their places at their house tables. After they had all been seated Dumbldore led in the first years and the sorting began.

After the last first year was sorted Headmaster Dippet stood and gave his short start of term speech before they began their feast.

While for some the feast was a grand affair of socializing and catching up with friends that had been out of contact during the summer. For Tom it was simple he never stuffed his face like some he simply ate what he needed. He didn't engage in frivolous conversations or any such nonsense like that.

After all the others had finished their meals and Headmaster Dippet called the feast to a close, they all marched to their common rooms following a prefect to gain the password to their common room.

Not that Tom needed the blasted thing he had found very quickly first year that swearing in parseltongue generally got him his way with the castle. Nearly every room could be overridden with parseltongue. A simple hissed 'open' would get him through nearly any door that was shut to him.

Tom did not converse with his dorm mates any more than he had at dinner. He simply dressed down for bed and went to sleep.

* * *

><p>Tom walked into the great hall the next morning with a rather contented smirk on his face. He was finaly home again. As he sat down at the table a white blur rushed over his head and landed on Alphard's shoulder.<p>

Hedwig offered her letter-laden talons to him. As Tom relived her of her burden she hopped down to the table and looked expectantly at Alphard's empty plate.

"I'm not stupid. I know what you'll do when I get my breakfast."

Hedwig just looked at him harshly as if saying '_oh really.'_

"Not my breakfast princess." Tom muttered absently as he opened Harry's letter with a butter knife.

_Tom,_

_There's someone bad on the loose. I don't know anything about him really but he has a lot of people spooked. He killed people. A lot of people for no reason. Ron's dad made me promise not to go looking for him. Why don't people understand that I don't want to go looking for someone who wants to kill me._

_But there's something else Tom. On the train the guards from Azkaban boarded. I've never felt so horrible in my life. I passed out Tom, I heard a woman screaming but when I came to they all told me that no one screamed. Could I have been hearing things?_

Tom's moderately happy smirk slipped further and further from his face as he read Harry's letter. She had met the guards of Azkaban. The only known ways to deal with them were to learn the Patronus Charm or to learn the Morte lingum- the Dementor's language. Both of which were incredibly difficult and learning Morte Lingum was fairly illegal unless one was employed by the ministry.

_Our newest defense teacher gave us all chocolate after he sent it away._

_When I got to the school there were carriages to take us up to the castle. But there were these things pulling them. They looked like horses but the had wings like bats and they looked half dead. But no one else seemed to notice them at all they didn't even look at them._

_Harry_

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_For all that's magical do not go anywhere near the Dementors. The will flock to you like starving men in a banquet hall, your painful memories would be the feast. That is what they feed on, they feed on emotions. More specifically they rob you of every ounce of happiness that there ever was and then begin their feast on what remains. That is why they are the guards to that prison. It is not possible for a criminal to live with themselves. Every haunting memory in their minds would play over and over until there is nothing left. As far as I know no one who is given a sentence in Azkaban lives to see the end of their sentence, they die of madness._

_Also the creatures you described are called Thestrals. They are completely invisible to those that haven't seen death. Don't be frightened of them they are really quite gentle. They are carnivorous though or rather they are scavengers they eat things that have died. Much like vultures. My school also has them pulling the carriages to our school. I saw them last year and researched them._

_On another note I know perfectly well how trouble finds you. But you don't seem to help it any that you cant help but try and save everyone around you. I have said it many times my friend, you don't need to save anyone. Don't let anyone take you from me, their lives will never be worth yours._

_Take care and be safe._

_Tom_

The first morning back Harry found himself at breakfast with a list of possible classes to take in front of him. So many of them sounded interesting. They had been given the same list at the end of second year but now he was even more unsure than he had been then. This was the last possible change that he could make to his schedule.

Arithmancy sounded like it was mathematics, he had always been good at those. After all he must have, he had done Dudley's homework often enough to get the boy good grades even though he himself couldn't allow himself to get a better grade than Dudley.

Harry cringed mentally at the memory of having the fingers in his right hand broken. He looked at the hand in question, with its straight and untwisted digits and knew now that his magic had healed him correctly.

Ancient Runes sounded very interesting. Tom had mentioned them before in one of his letters. He had been very excited about them.

Muggle Studies seemed to be a rather pointless class for one who came from the muggle world. Why wasn't there a wizarding studies class? Even after spending three years in the wizarding world he still got lost in people's conversations.

Perhaps he could owl Tom and ask what he thought. After all the list wasn't due until lunch.

"Harry let me see what classes you picked out."

"oh I hav.." before Harry could finish saying that he wasn't done Ron had pulled the sheet from his hands.

"You can take Divination and Care of magical creatures with me. Just like we planed remember easiest classes we will ever take." Ron proudly exclaimed.

"And you wont even have to get any books for some ridiculously hard new class. I mean look at Hermione over there she's swamped with all those classes she's picked. And look how heavy all those books are. You are right lucky that I helped you pick our classes last year, mate.

Ron puffed up with pride he knew Harry would thank him for saving him from the boredom of classes like Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. Who other than Hermione would really want to take that rubbish.

* * *

><p>Draco could only watch as the alcoholic half giant introduced their class to Hippogriffs. Surely he hadn't been drinking again before he had a class.<p>

"now all of ya' open up y'r books."

"how are we supposed to do that without getting bitten by the things." Draco saw out the corner of his eye that Harry was looking around at all the other books that had been belted shut like his. _'good at least he still has some sense.'_

"Ya mean tha' none of ya could work 'um?" not one of the class answered.

"Today we're gonna be lern'n 'bout Hippogriffs." The oaf clapped his hands together.

"now who wants ta go first?" everyone took a step back. Every one except, Draco noticed, Harry.

The black haired boy stood his ground still staring at the beasts in the paddock with unmasked wonder. It was the expression a child would have when first faced with fireworks or something of equal caliber.

"that a boy 'Arry." The half-giant smiled merrily and Draco saw Harry break from whatever trance he had been in before, but it was already too late. The huge man led Harry over to a slate grey Hippogriff.

Harry did as the man said and gracefully bowed. It was always so odd to see someone like Harry be as graceful as he was. It never helped him in the stature department at all though. Draco was quite sure that with his soft manner, grace, and build Harry had been mistaken for a girl at least a couple of times.

But for half an eternity it seemed the great beast didn't bow to the petiet figure before it. Draco couldn't help but watch in aw as the vicious combination of bird and horse finally bowed its talon clad front legs to Harry. Harry stepped forward and stroked its treacherous beak gently.

"Ah good I reckon he'd let ya ride 'im now." Hagrid said happily. Draco couldn't stand the man. Not one bit. He was a drunken half-giant half-muggle mongrel with little to know common sense and very poor ability to keep a secret.

He watched Harry's face as he was forcibly lifted from the ground and placed on the Hippogriff's back before it's hindquarters were smacked to send the beast barreling to take flight.

The entire class could only watch in stunned awe as Harry and the grey Hippogriff flew. It was just like when he was on a broom. Harry belonged in the sky and everyone could see it. Anyone of them that knew about the Potter line knew the same had always been true. Every family had an old fairy tale about it's lineage that get passed down and told again and again. The one Draco had heard as a child was that the first Potter had been gift by the Gran Mab to a baren couple. The old crone, seeing the couple's sorrow, had transformed one of her own precious ravens into a child. Magic made them men but they still remember being birds so they were grace given in the sky.

After Harry and the grey hippogriff landed the half breed man let all the other students into the paddock.

"if Potter can do it so can i." Draco said confidently after all these were obviously tame for someone as delicate as Harry seemed to be aknowlaged. And Draco was a Malfoy and a descendent of the Blacks, he had noble blood in his veins. The beast would know who was better.

He never saw the beast rear back.

"MALFOY!"

"PROTEGO MAXIMA!" a bright glowing shield bloomed over Draco protecting him from Buckbeak's talons. But this seemed to enrage the furious beast further. Gun metal grey talons struck the golden bubble again and again until it shattered and its talons met their mark. Flesh was rended from bone and blood poured from the wound.

"Hagrid he needs to be taken to the hospital wing." He heard a girl say somewhere behind him. It sounded like Granger.

"I'll do it. Blood doesn't bother me." Harry said, his wisper slicing through the air as if it was the cold steel of a blade. It echoed through every Gryffindor present and shocked them into silence. No one could get the strength of voice to argue with his calm. Harry helped him to his feet and began to half drag him back up to the castle as he cradled his arm, it was wrapped in someone's robe but he couldn't quite recall it being put there.

"why would you do this for me. You hate me." Draco asked seriously as he was set onto a bed.

"I don't hate anyone. You've hated me ever since I was sorted into Gryffindor."

"no I haven't I might have been a tad bit upset."

"a bit? You've been fighting with me at every chance you could get."

"of coarse I did you would have pretended I didn't exist otherwise. "

"no I wouldn't. I tried talking to you again the first week after the sorting and you just sneered down your nose at me."

"is there anyone that actually doesn't have to look down to see you."

"git." Harry mumbled.

"its not my fault that you're shorter than a first year. Blame your mum. She's probably why you're so short."

Harry looked away. He knew that his lack of meals was why he was so short. But he couldn't tell that. He didn't want anyone's pity. Tom knew but Tom would never pity anyone.

"Harry?"

"yeah?"

"you zoned out there."

"oh sorry about that. Friends?"

"I suppose." Draco eyed Harry strangely it wasn't for the first time that he noticed that there was indeed something off with the way that Harry behaved at times. He couldn't figure out what it could be though. But at certain times he simply seemed to stop, like his mind was simply gone from the situation. It was a very strange thing to witness but he couldn't figure out any specific trigger to it.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_Guess what!_

_Draco is finally talking to me again. Without being a git… mostly he's still a git but he's a friendly git. It only took two years and him making a hippogriff angry._

_Ron is furious though. I will never understand what is wrong with him. He was fine when I thought Draco hated my guts but now that we are friends again he's all moody and irritable._

_On another note I really don't like divination. The teacher claims to have an 'inner eye' or something but really it seems that she could only predict where her next bottle of wine is._

_I probably shouldn't have listened to Ron when picking my classes. I really hate divination. Care of magical creatures isn't bad. But I kind of wish that I had taken Ancient Runes or Arithmancy instead. At least in those I wouldn't have a mad woman with way to much jewelry screaming about my 'certain demise'._

_But there is something that worries me about it. In the tea leaves she saw a grim. Ron told me about it and they are real. They're death omens. And it looked exactly like the dog that startled me when I left my uncle's house._

_My transfiguration lesson went well though. Thank you for helping me by the way. Our professor talked about animagi and what they were. It lightened the mood a bit after the divination lesson._

_We had our first defense lesson with our new professor the day after. It was interesting but it made me a bit uneasy. There was Bogart in a wardrobe. We all took turns turning the thing we fear most into something funny. While the lesson itself was fun thinking about it hits a little close to home._

_A creature no one even knows that feels safest hiding in a small dark place. And when it's drug out of its safe place it is feared, hated and mocked to make it disappear._

_While I don't particularly like Bogarts themselves the idea of them feels a little too familiar. I wasn't even allowed to face it. Mine took the shape of a dementor, I don't think there is anything in the world that can make a dementor funny._

_Harry_

"Oh Harry, not again." Tom put his palm to his forehead and allowed it to slide down his face in his exasperation. In the solitary gloom of his dormitory no one saw the ever proper Tom Riddle lose his composure. He would never give anyone the satisfaction of seeing his calm so broken. He would never give them the only thing that had ever wormed its way into his black, black heart.

His friend was sweet and far to kind for her own good. But he really hoped that the seer that was teaching her class really was a fraud. He hoped like no other that his friend would be safe. He knew at this point it would be a false hope to think that she could stay out of danger. But he could wish and hope that she lived through it and came out whole.

He understood her feelings about the bogart. For a creature so despised for its ability to cause fear, they both knew what it was like to be that creature.

To Tom it seemed that her greatest fear was reliving her fears. There were far too many horrors in her past for a simple Bogart to replicate but it could still make her feel them. It took the form of a dementor to make her feel every ounce of fear she ever had. His brave little friend was an anomaly on to herself. What she feared was fear itself.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_I am sorry that the fool chose your courses for you. I understand that you are unable to alter your schedule any further._

_I am taking both Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. If you would like I can teach you as I learn. Or I can give you a copy of the notes from the classes. I had no interest in_

_I glad that you are happy about Draco's return to being your friend. I believe that I can tolerate him much more than I can Ronald. If you desire, my offer to curse him still stands. If I find that he tried to harm you and succeeded then I will curse him until I deem that he has learned his lesson. Or you decide to beg on his behalf. I would much rather you didn't though. I quite honestly don't feel that Ronald is ever worth you begging._

Harry shook his head Tom would always be Tom. And Tom hated Ron for no apparent reason. '_well not entirely.'_ Harry decided as he considered the fact that the only times Tom had cursed Ron he had thought that he had hurt him. Really Tom was just being over protective.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_I would be very happy to learn them from you. and it wont take too much of my time from my other classes because I wont have any epic length essays to turn in to the professor._

_Don't worry about Ron he's just sore about it. Everything is just adding up on him, making him more irritable. Hermione's new cat seems to think that Ron's pet rat is a wonderful thing to chase. He and Draco never got along so I expect that its all just stress._

_Care of magical creatures has gotten very dull as our teacher has now lost all confidence since the hippogriff attacked Draco. We've been taking care of fluberworms ever since. I don't think there is anything more boring than a fluberworm._

_I tried asking my head of house to sign my permission slip but she wouldn't. sign it_

Tom looked over Harry's letter contently before picking up his bag and leaving the great hall. His first class of the day was Arithmancy.

His professor was a spry young man as far as wizards go. He was likely no older than thirty.

"hello class. I am professor Cadmus Vector (anyone who has done robotics might get the reference. It amused me.) Arithmancy is the science behind magic. It is how we create new spells or improve old ones. Not many people are quick witted enough to step out of their tried and proven spells. Quite simply Arithmancy is about the research and construction of spells and certain rituals. It is the application of numbers to magic. Every spell we have today someone created. They calculated and wrote the rules of each spell. For instance the summoning charm Accio, one can only summon an object smaller than or equal to one's own mass. It is the basis of this spell. It is the restriction built into the spell to protect the caster."

The young professor looked over his class to see his students awed and lost expressions. He was startled however to find one already with his hand patently raised.

"Mr. Riddle?" He asked after checking his roster.

" In what way is a protection of that nature necessary? If it restricts the magic released to only allow certain objects to be acted upon would that not reduce the effectiveness of the spell?"

"An interesting question Mr. Riddle. I must say that I've never been asked that before. Most would simply have taken my example. But anyway the restriction is there because it prevents too much magic from being drawn from the caster. If there was no restriction then the caster could quite easily exhaust their magic as there would be no regulated usage. This is why nonverbal wandless magic is near impossible. The words and wand motions trap the connections inside the spell, without them the caster has no restrictions."

"I see" Tom said thoughtfully. The rest of the class seemed to have become lost in the professor's explanation. Or rather they had gotten lost from Tom's question and the professor had merely led them further down that rabbit hole.

'_stupid Ravenclaws, never looking further than the books in front of their faces.'_ Tom thought harshly. Most of his class was indeed Ravenclaw, he and Abraxaus were the only Slytherins while there was one Gryffindor and no Hufflepuffs. Tom often found Ravenclaws to be rather annoying in their hording of knowledge. They wanted to learn everything but they had now higher goal for any of that knowledge. Nor did they ever question what they learned or even try to read between the lines of what they read. They were booksmart but hardly intelligent.

Later that week Tom received another letter from Harry. Hedwig seemed distressed and rather disgruntled, as if she had no desire to be separated from her owner.

_Tom,_

_He got into the castle._

'_no not again.'_ He would not allow anyone to harm her. He couldn't care less about the others in her school but he would not lose her. Last year had been too close of a call. He would never let her get so close to He would find a way to protect her. He had to.

_He cut up the portrait that guards my house's common room. He had tried to get in when we were all at dinner. He must have gotten mad when our portrait wouldn't let him through._

_Now we have a new guardian. He is a complete nut. He changes the password at least twice a week._

_I know all of this is for our protection but it is rather frustrating._

_Harry_

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_Hang this over your bed. It a protection ring. It has a small field of focus but it has charms against harm, both physical and magical, and anti-malintent charms as well. You never need to worry about it running out of power though it will charge itself on the ambient magic you give off when you sleep._

_I know he didn't make it into your dormitory but please. Do this for me. Next time might not be so lucky._

_Hedwig offered up some of her own feathers to make this. It is better that way though as she already has a bond to you._

_Be very happy about this Harry, I went into the forest for you. the threads crossing the center of the ring are unicorn hair. Do not inform anyone of this._

_The wood the ring is made from is holly like you told me your wand was made of. For the same reason as Hedwig's feathers it will work best because of your bond to that type of wood._

_Please, I know this will seem like an impossible task but do not get into any trouble. If something is keeping you safe don't go against that._

_Tom_

"what's that?" Ron asked looking up from his bed.

"it's a dream catcher. Tom made it for me." Harry lied he wasn't supposed to tell anyone that the glossy white threads spun across the ring were unicorn hair. But for Tom to have used such a thing for it, it had to be necessary.

Harry studied the ring carefully. For all the worry that had spawned it, it really was quite handsomely done. The dark wood of the holly ring contrasted with the sparkling threads of unicorn hair and Hedwig's immaculate feathers.

_Thank you, Tom_

_I am very grateful. I don't know what I would do without you Tom._

_Did you really get unicorn hair just to make that ring for me?_

_I thought unicorns didn't like boys._

_Harry_

* * *

><p><em>Harry.<em>

_You will never have to worry. I will always be here for you._

_And no my friend I did not face the unicorn the hairs are from. When they run through the trees their tails get hairs caught in the low branches and brambles._

_Unicorns to my knowledge do not trust men. Because we are seen as impure. There is actually number of debates to why they may not like men but I have yet to find a legitimate reason._

_Tom_

* * *

><p><em>Tom<em>

_You were right,_

_He got into the dormitory, Ron woke up and he was standing over him with a knife. It's a little unnerving that he got that close to me. He got the wrong bed and Ron woke the whole tower with his screaming._

_Harry_

* * *

><p>While the rest of the castle was distracted by the news of Sirius Black, Harry wandered into the chamber of secrets with a mission. Ever since last year he had felt guilty for taking the life of the chamber's basilisk. His only goal was to protect Riddle who had been his master's last heir. He couldn't fault him for that, the only reason he had attacked any student at all was because Riddle had told him to. Tom was probably right and he had been put there to protect the school not hurt it. After all he had been in that chamber for a thousand years, never once had he attacked a student before Riddle had given those orders.<p>

The great basilisk's corpse looked like it hadn't aged a day. Rot and decay had not touched the colossal serpent. His scales still glistened even thought the blood he had spilled had long since dried.

"I'm sorry. You were just doing what your master wanted you to."

Harry decided how he would handle the great snake's corpse then. He would continue to protect his master's school even in death.

Harry slipped on his invisibility cloak and crept out of the castle there were still hidden passages that were not guarded by the dementors but they were old and forgotten. There was no way that Black would ever know about them.

He passed through the dark forest with hardly a sound. The further he went the more he knew he would have to soon turn back. The forest wasn't a place for humans. But he would do what he set out to.

As he reached the edge of Aragog's territory he pulled out the box containing the minimized form of the basilisk's body. He opened the small box and laid the carcass down.

Taking a few steps back he ended the spell he had placed on it. Soon sixty feet of basilisk stretched across the border of the wilder part of the forest. There was nothing that would try to face a basilisk but a phoenix. Nothing that could harm the school would ever try to get past it. Because even dead, they would fear it.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_I've got a question for you._

_You remember the basilisk right._

_Its just I feel guilty that I had to kill him. He was trying to protect his master. It just doesn't seem right._

_Do you think it would be a stupid idea if I hatched one to take his place. After all you had said that he was there to be a guardian right. Would it be wrong to try and fix what I did?_

_Harry_

"Harry." Tom groaned. His friend had killed man and monster but she still felt guilt about their deaths. She was troubled by the fact that she had killed to save her own life. At least if she was in the replica chamber then she was safe from the man who had been turned loose on her school. After all there were not many parselmouths in the world. The one who had been behind the attacks had been caught and most likely sentenced. There were times when Tom wondered why he never heard of the events that happened in her school but Tom realized that papers hardly ever tell the full scope of what happens.

Whoever ran her school certainly could keep events well under wraps. that much was certain.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_If the other parselmouth is gone there would be little danger to you. The hatchling would listen to a speaker instinctually. But I am quite unsure about you hatching a basilisk in a light oriented school. If you do it in a safe place and tell the hatchling not to seek out anyone it may be fine._

_But you must know that even able to control the hatchling itself things will be dangerous if you chose to do this in order to hatch one you will need to cast the Imperius curse on a toad. You realize that if someone tests your wand this will be disastrous._

_The safest thing for you to do would be to not do this at all._

_My greatest suggestion on the matter if you do this is to owl order a book on wards first. The ward you will need with be a non-detection ward. They are quite common as far as wards go but they require details that I cannot give in a letter. The other thing that this would require would be a dummy wand. For this I want you to order a book on wand lore. It would be best if it were Raven who ordered them in your stead though. After you read them, hide them. Don't let any possible evidence lead back to you my friend. This venture is very illegal. I'm not sure I want you doing this alone my friend,_

_Even with all the precautions I am not sure about this venture at all. Being caught with dark magic in a school such as yours would be a very poor idea._

_Tom_

Harry looked over Tom's letter thoughtfully he knew that Tom couldn't perform high level light spells because of his dark core but the reverse would most likely be true.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_Is there a way to do it without the dark magic? Could I ask a toad to sit on the egg?_

_I can hatch it in the chamber so no one else can get to it._

_Harry_

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_My dear friend. I have never once read anything of being able to ask a toad to do anything. But with your luck it might be worth a shot. Consider it an experiment, if it doesn't work you will end up with a pet chicken._

_But still please look into the wards anyone who stumbles onto something like that would know exactly what was trying to be done. Not only will they stop it they will investigate. There are very few basilisks in the world for a reason Harry._

_The first is that they can only be created by wizards. Even though they have differing genders I have never heard of there being more than one in any given area._

_The second reason is that if they are discovered they are put to death. They are executed as dark creatures whether they have killed a human or not. Any other creature would require a trial._

_The chamber would be an adequate place to hide it but I still suggest the book on wards._

_Tom_

Later that week a book containing extensive wards was owl ordered by Raven Thomas. Also for inexplicable reasons Trevor the toad disappeared.

* * *

><p>"Please Trevor. I promise nothing will happen to you. and you can avoid Neville for a month." The toad croaked but it didn't seem anywhere near as intelligent as Hedwig so Harry couldn't tell what it was thinking or even if it was thinking. Harry tried again to appeal to the wayward toad.<p>

"please. I'll leave food for you and a warming charm on the egg."

Trevor croaked and Harry placed him on the egg hoping that all his begging had worked even though he had no idea what toads ate. He thought they ate flies but he didn't know if there was more to them than that.

* * *

><p>"I cant find him anywhere. I've lost him for good this time." Neville cried hopelessly.<p>

"what does Trevor eat, Neville?" Harry asked the forgetful boy cautiously. "I mean maybe if we leave food out for him he will come back."

"oh he eats grubs and things like that. Do your really think that would work?"

"maybe."

* * *

><p>Over the next month Harry sent him her near daily letters indicating what she learned, what was happening, or simply talking with him. Tom found he always enjoyed those the best. He simply did not like sharing his friend. She was his whole world, the only person he cared about.<p>

After exactly twenty-three days after the original message of asking a toad, Tom was greeted to breakfast by Hedwig with a letter in her talons. She seemed vexed by something. Tom frowned, Hedwig's mood generally indicated what state things were with Harry.

_Tom,_

_This is incredible._

_It hatched. It worked. Its a baby basilisk not a chicken._

_I wasn't sure that it would work but it did._

_She's a female that I've decided to name Lyra. But she looks so different from the one I killed. He was huge and his body was a dark green color nearly black. And a ghost told me his eyes were yellow._

_Lyra is nearly his polar opposite. She's pearly white with flecks of gold in her scales. But she's blind. She was born completely blind. Her eyes are a foggy pink color. I think she's beautiful. I found out that instead of seeing like normal she can see magic instead. The only problem is that she wont stop calling me mum. I didn't think that snakes imprinted. I thought that was only birds._

_I'd send you a picture of her but I don't want you caught with a picture of a baby basilisk._

_Harry_

Tom smiled at his friend's enthusiasm. She hatched a dark creature and she was ecstatic. A light witch was brimming with excitement for a dark creature. If it weren't Harry he would have wondered who drugged his coffee that morning. Hedwig's disgruntlement was for the same reason his often was, she was having to share Harry.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_It would seem to me that the difference in the way you went about hatching her is what makes her seem so different from the other. Your magic is innately light where as most with the inclination to hatch a basilisk are dark. Then there is the fact that your intentions were to replace something you destroyed. You had a benevolent intention._

_Then there was the toad. I will never understand your toad dilemma but you had the toad willingly sit on the egg instead of imperioused._

_Your reached the same result with the polar opposite in method._

_Light core vs. Dark_

_Selfless vs. created with an intended purpose_

_Free will vs. controlled._

_I highly doubt that anyone other than you could have reached such a result._

_Tom_

A few days past and Hedwig returned to Tom with a letter baring Harry's distress.

_Tom,_

_This is terrible. The hippogriff that was present during our first care of magical creatures lesson. There's talk of having him executed. I don't know what to do. Draco's father is the one pushing for the execution. He wont even talk to me about it. I told him to grow a backbone and we haven't really talked since._

Well at least he was no longer sharing his friend with so many.

* * *

><p>Months passed and the Christmas holidays were quickly approaching. Harry still wanted to get Tom a gift. Thankfully the twins had given him the map.<p>

Not long after they had given him the map he had snuck into Hogsmead for the first time and after several trips he learned what had been kept from him. Sirius Black had been the one to betray his parents. With that knowledge coming into his possession he sent a letter to Tom.

He could accept all the other atrocities, it had been a war after all, but to betray the one's he loved, that loved and trusted him in return. That was worse than anything else had been.

When the time came he was going to take a leaf out of Tom's book, his family's betrayer was going to pay for what he did.

Harry had snuck into Hogsmead and found Ron and Hermione rather quickly and right around the corner he saw a little store. A pet shop.

Harry grinned as he saw it. He knew exactly what he was going to get for Tom now.

After guiding the other two in he looked around the neat little shop listening to the coos of birds, the mewing of cats, and the voices of the snakes. After listening to them for a little while he pulled Ron over to one of them.

"Ron. Get her. The little one with the markings down her back that look like runes."

"but Harry." Ron whimpered

"shhhh." Harry hissed at Ron quietly. "don't draw attention. I'm not supposed to be here."

Harry discretely handed Ron the money to pay for the young snake.

As they turned to leave the warm little shop the snake began to panic.

"**no don't you dare I don't want to go out there you fools its too cold. Do you want me to die?"** the young snake hissed violently as she thrashed. Ron paled as she valiantly tried to keep from going out into the frigid winter wind.

"**shush I'll get them to hand you to me before we leave the store."**

"**who is there? I hear a Speaker but I see none but these fools."**

"**I'm invisible right now please stop making a fuss you are scaring my friend."**

"**Very well then Speaker-I-Cant-See but you must keep your word and carry me."**

"**Alright. I think Tom is going to love you. You and he are both so finicky." **Harry took the young snake from Ron's arms and pulled her under the invisibility cloak with him.

"**Who is this Tom?"**

"**He's my best friend, he's another Speaker. He is all alone where he is so I when I saw you I figured out how to solve that."**

"**This Tom is to be my master?"**

"**Um if you want really I just want him not to be so alone. Even at his school I'm the only friend he has. I want him to be happy."**

"**I see my master-to-be is your mate."**

"**Wait what? No. I'm not…. Tom isn't… Oh shut up."**

"Mate, that's creepy. Never ever do that again."

"do what?"

"Speak parseltounge. It's creepy and not natural. Why did we have to get that evil little shoe lace anyway?"

"She's for Tom." Harry said simply while he tried not to scowl at his friend. even if he couldn't be seen it wouldn't be very nice.

"Of coarse it is." Ron groused, he still hated Tom for the incident in second year.

* * *

><p>After returning to the school Harry brought the young snake down to the chamber with him. After all it really wouldn't do for him to be found with a highly venomus snake in his possession.<p>

"**you need to stay here for a little while. It will only be for a few days. Its just that my dorm mates might get scared of you. but Lyra can keep you company. Or you can keep her company."**

"**Mum are we going to see the Krissy-miss?"**

"**I can spend it with you if you like. Ron is going back to the Burrow for Christmas and Hermione is going to her parents' home."**

"**I want to go to the weasel burrow! Can that be my present?"** Harry shook his head at the young snake that he had hatched. Ever since he explained Christmas to her she had been obsessed with it.

"**little Queenling it is an honor." **the newly aquired serpent bowed her wedge shaped head to the blind serpent queen.

"**why are you here? Mum's never brought visitors before. Are you going to stay with me?"**

"**no the speaker has said that I am to meet another speaker who will be my master."**

"**Mum's Tom? Mum's mate that isn't a mate?"**

"**Lyra!" **Harry chastised the basilisk, she seemed to have gotten the impression that Tom was his mate and no amount of explaining seemed to fix that.

* * *

><p><em>hi Tom,<em>

_guess what. My defense professor told me that after the holidays he will teach me how to protect myself from dementors. He said we have to wait because he's sick right now. Actually he's sick a lot. Every month for at least three days sometimes longer. I wish I knew what was wrong with him but I likely wouldn't be able to fix it. Our potions master keeps brewing potions for him but I don't know what for._

_Harry_

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_It seems to me that your professor is likely a werewolf. For him to be teaching his condition must not be known. He is a dark creature, just like a basilisk. The only difference is that the ministry allows them to live if you could call it that._

_When a werewolf is reported the ministry investigates them and forces them to register themselves. If they ever attack anyone they are put to death. If they are out during the full moon they will be killed on sight. They have no legal standing and can not own property. They can not attend magical schools with wizarding children or practice magic legally._

_If your professor is a werewolf as I think that he is then he has either been hiding it for a very long time or he was newly bitten._

_Provided that he is nowhere near you on full moons I have no problem with him._

_As for protecting you from the dementors I would have taught you if I could but I cannot cast the patronus charm. It is advanced light magic and my core fights against using it. The only other option is the Mortem Lingum. But that is a difficult thing to find, any books on it are carefully guarded by the ministry itself._

_Tom_

* * *

><p>Tom scoured Hogsmead, this year he was going to get Harry a gift. It would have to be something special. Something that she would like.<p>

He would not get her Quidditch supplies. She already had a broom and she was a seeker so anything further would be of little use.

Getting her a pet would be of little use as well. He was quite sure that Hedwig would dispatch any interloper as soon as its presence was made known.

As he continued to contemplate her gift he came to a little shop near the end of the winding road. There in the window he saw it.

'_perfect.'_

* * *

><p>A while later Christmas finally reached Hogwarts. The same as every other day Tom rose early but he had little to do on the holiday most celebrated by children. For more than half a decade his only gift was that his friend was still there.<p>

He held a small box in the pocket of his robe thoughtfully. He was exceptionally pleased as he strolled the corridors to the great hall for breakfast. He would leave the children to their gifts.

Not long after he sat down and poured his first cup of coffee (yes coffee. Bad tom don't you know that will stunt your growth.)

_Happy Christmas Tom!_

_Open my other letter after you open the box. But don't open it until you are alone. And don't shake it._

Tom looked at Harry's letter curiously before turning to the box. He shrugged slightly before leaving the table. Hedwig fluttered to his shoulder.

"Talons princess." He said glaring slightly at the vain bird but his glare held little heat to it.

Hedwig listed however and loosened her grip on his shoulder just slightly.

Once he got to the Slytherin dorms he sat on his bed and stared at the box for a moment.

"**Is it over?" **the young snake looked up out of her box

"**Hello." **Tom looked at her curiously.

"**Another Speaker? The first Speaker said that my master to be was another Speaker, are you my master?"**

"**It would appear that way." **Tom answered absently. He pulled out Harry's second letter, perhaps it would have the answers to what exactly a young venomous snake was doing in a box.

_Hi Tom,_

_As you have opened the box by now you know that your present is a snake. She doesn't have a name yet but she is a bit of a drama queen._

_She is a juvenile venomous magical Burmese python , she is really poisonous but she's happy enough not to bite a speaker. Don't let her bite anyone else though. She's there to keep you company. You need a friend. I know you don't consider the other students friends so I thought that she could keep you company like Hedwig does for me. You might want to glamour her as something a little more harmless though. I had to threaten her with being glamoured as a bootlace to get her to let Hedwig carry her._

_When I saw her in the shop, I knew you would love her she is really clever. Take care of her, I told her to look after you too so she might nag a little sorry._

_Harry_

Tom looked at the young snake speechlessly. He wasn't alone anymore. Harry had sent him a companion. It was such an odd feeling he wasn't used to having a friend with him. He hadn't had one near him in many years. Harry had been his only companion for so long but she was only present in her words.

"**Harry said you have no name."**

"**that is correct I have never had the need for one."**

"**would you allow me to give you a name?"**

the venoumus python seemed to think for a moment before replying. **"yes."**

Tom consulted the archive of knowlage his brain had stored in it. "**Nagani. Your name will be Nagani. Do you approve?"**

"**yes master."**

While her tone was respectful to him, her eyes had not left Hedwig's golden glare.

"**Don't glare at me so winter-born-again I am not your lunch I will bite you if you try."**

Hedwig looked at the newly dubbed Nagani as if saying '_I'd like to see you try.'_

"**Would you knock that off she doesn't understand you. Besides Harry would be upset if she was gone."**

"**Of coarse the born-again understands her master is the other speaker, your mate."**

"**What are you talking about born-again?"**

"**The bird."**

"**Explain."**

"**Her master is a speaker, she is bound to her master so she knows the human tongue and the serpent tongue."**

"**A familiar? You are saying Hedwig is Harry's familiar?"**

"**Yes the winter-born-again is your mate's familiar."**

"**I knew that bird was too intelligent." **Hedwig glared at Tom.

"It would seem that my friend is considerably more powerful than I had thought." Tom said to himself with a smirk.

"_**It is interesting that you do not argue that the other speaker is your mate. He did."**_

"_**She. Harry is a girl. And how you perceive my relation to her is of no concern to me. She is mine."**_

"_**magical humans are so difficult to place like that. Any other mammal simply is what it seems but not wizard kin no they are never what they seem. But a good mate you seem to be. Perhaps there is hope for the speakers yet. There are so few of you. perhaps a clutch of hatchlings would aid us all."**_

"_**Nagani. Such talk is not appreciated."**_

"_**forgive me master. I suppose you and she are rather young for hatchlings. Merely hatchlings yourselves still."**_

"You're a parselmouth!" Tom turned around suddenly and saw Abraxuas standing behind him with a look of sheer awe on his face.

"This is amazing I knew you couldn't be a muggleborn. But never did I…. you're a parselmouth- the heir of Slytherin." Tom said nothing as the blonde boy ranted. He already knew that he had to be an heir of Slytherin his gift made that obvious. Harry was possibly as well but he wasn't sure how. He had every intention of brewing a heredity potion this year to learn where his gift came from and possibly if he was related to her. He still had the childish hope of knowing his family. Most often that foolishness was smothered by his rational mind but sometimes that immature idea slipped through.

"and all of your decorum seems to have fled you." Tom muttered after Abraxaus stopped babbling.

"forgive me my lord." that was curious.

"My lord?"

"yes. My family was one of those that had pledged loyalty to Salazar Slytherin a millennia ago. We had thought that the line had died out. But you exist. This is incredible. I never thought that I would meet one." How very curious indeed.

"Malfoy."

"Yes my lord."

"Be silent. Your ramblings are tiresome. What is it that you want?"

"I came to see why you left in such a hurry." Abraxaus trailed off as he noticed the young snake on Tom's bed.

"That snake is highly venomous you know."

"Yes I know. Harry has already informed me of such."

"Your friend gave you that snake?"

"She did. I hardly see how it is of your concern."

"But how not even many who specialize in magical snakes will handle those."

"Harry is also a parselmouth. " with that Tom waved his wand in a complex motion over the juvenile serpent.

"I do hope that you intend to marry her. Such a prize as that would be a shame to have slip away." Abraxaus stated knowingly. He had been raised on those ideals. Including the one stating that he would only marry one befitting his status.

"be silent Malfoy, I have other things on my mind." With that Tom, his now harmlessly glamoured snake, and Hedwig left the room

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_I finally have a gift for you my friend. You are precious to me and I want you to remember that._

_Tom_

Harry opened the small box that Hedwig had clasped in her talons. It revealed a small silver pendent of a dragon twisted around an opal while it chased its tail. The chain it rested on was a fairly neutral piece. It was silver like the pendent. All of it was quite gorgeous without being overly feminine; Tom must have been saving his money to get him such a gift.

Harry huffed, Tom had been planning to get him something expensive all along and Tom wouldn't let him spend any money on him over the summer.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_I love it. It is beautiful. Thank you._

_you know I'm rather frustrated with you right now. You told me not to waste my money on you but you did on me. We really need to come to an agreement on this. I like the idea that we will both just buy what we want for the other. I don't want to feel guilty for buying you something but its just as hard not feeling guilty about you spending your money on me._

_Harry_

"an agreement you will have my friend." Tom muttered under his breath as he closed the letter.

* * *

><p>.<p>

Everyone returned from the holidays and life went on as it did normally with the exceptions of the dementors at the gates of course. Professor Lupin kept his promise and began to teach Harry the patronus charm.

Several weeks of those lessons past and Harry was soon able to produce the shielding cloud of mist that most saw as a patronus. Remus didn't say it but he was deeply impressed that his cub got even that far. It extraordinarily difficult for most adult wizards to summon that charm, event to that state. For a thirteen year old to get it that far was impressive to say the least.

After a month Remus found himself strolling the corridors of the castle that had for seven years been his home and for this time it was again. He found so much nostalgia in his thoughts as he passed through its halls at night. It brought him back to his years as a boy in its very walls, with good friends that were nearly family. Oh how he missed them all. He missed James' adventurous nature, Sirius' rebellious caring. Even little Peter's childlike wonder at their world. Those three boys had pulled him out of his shell and made his life worth living again.

One time however his reminiscence was broken by the sight of a very familiar head of wild hair.

* * *

><p>"Harry what are you doing wandering the corridors at this hour?"<p>

"Nothing." He said simply and while his face told no tale of lies Remus smelled that Harry was indeed lying. But what was it that he was hiding? There that smell. Harry had the map. Padfoot could easily get him if that fell into his hands. And they had made sure it couldn't stay out of their hands. Padfoot had use a bit of old Black family magic to make sure it would be drawn to their bloodlines. Perhaps it was a good thing that Prongs hadn't talked Padfoot into wanting a child of his own.

Not even a day later Remus heard Snape cornering Harry in the hallways in the late hours of the night. Silently he crept forward to see what it was about.

He evaded Snape's questioning and kept the map. He was the only one it would be safe with. The silly thing had a mind of it's own really. A mind that consisted of his knowledge, Prongs' wit, Padfoot's humor, and Wormtail's whimsy. It really was such a fickle thing. If it were ever in the hands of someone else or with a teacher it would find a way to get back into their hands. At least in his hands it wouldn't find a way to get to Padfoot himself.

After Snape left he turned to Harry. He knew Harry knew what the map was else he wouldn't have tried to hard to keep it from professor Snape.

"Just so you know professor I don't think that that map always works."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I saw someone one it that shouldn't be there. Someone that I know to be dead."

A feeling of dread filled Remus' gut and Mooney howled in the back of his mind but he had to know.

"Who?"

"Peter Pettigrew." _'That's not possible Padfoot killed him. He left me alone; he betrayed James and killed one of my pack. He cant be on the map.'_ Thoughts and ideas swam rampantly through the werewolf's mind but aloud the only one he voiced was….

"That is not possible."

"It's what I saw." Harry said simply.

"Go back to your dormitory, straight back. I'll know if you don't." he gestured to the map in his hands. Harry nodded and turned around after he turned the corner Remus realized that there were no passageways to Gryffindor tower from where they were, Harry would have had to take the long way. But as he stepped forward around the corner he found that Harry was no where to be seen. it seemed that he had inherited James' ability to simply know the hidden places in the old castle. it seemed that even after five years of map making and Jame's plotting his new descovories, there was even more left still to be discovered.

* * *

><p>Time went on and the atmosphere of Hogwarts became more stressful the closer they came to the end of term tests. But unfortunately for Hagrid it seemed Lucius Malfoy was persistent. Soon it was determined that there was nothing anyone could do, the hippogriff was doomed to die.<p>

But it was on the night that the beast's execution took place that he saw something on the map. He watched a dot labeled 'Sirius Black' dart across the grounds while he pulled another dot labeled 'Ronald Weasley' and a 'Peter Pettigrew' was pulled in stride. Harry was right Padfoot was innocent. Joy filled him ever so slightly only to come crashing down with the same realization. Padfoot was innocent, he best friend and once lover was innocent and had spent more than a decade in Azkaban.

* * *

><p>"He's a werewolf."<p>

"I know!" Harry shouted keeping his wand trained on Black

"How?"

"Tom's clever too. And I'm not completely unobservant. I tell him everything he found it out before the holidays."

"Please Harry lower your wand. He is not the man you are after."

"How could he not be he sold them out. That would be as bad as if Tom betrayed me to Voldemort."

"Harry I don't pretend to know your friend but if you consider him that close to you, then you must understand how Sirius is to me."

"How can you trust him after all he's done?"

"It wasn't him."

"If it wasn't him then who was it."

"Peter Pettigrew."

"That's not possible he's dead."

"No he's not he's here. He's been hiding all along." Remus couldn't stand how Azkaban's madness tinged his once lover's voice.

"No you killed him."

"He did not. I thought he had as well until the map said otherwise."

"Then the map was broken. It was lying"

"It never lies." Black exclaimed madly. Even if the man was as innocent as he said twelve years in Azkaban and done its harm to his mental stability.

Pettigrew struggled out of his captor's arms and tried to run only to have

"Incarcerus et claustrum!" Pettigrew soon found himself bound and caged in the blink of an eye.

"Harry where did you learn that spell?"

"Tom taught it to me when he thought I was in danger of being killed in school."

"Which year Harry? Your friend always thinks you're in danger."

"He's kind of right." Harry said sheepishly.

All of the sudden the grounds were illuminated with the light of the full moon. Dread filled them as the silvery orb came into full view.

"REMUS!" Sirius shouted as his friend and once lover transformed into a beast.

* * *

><p>The now fully transformed werewolf looked up at the shouting man. Mooney sniffed the air carefully. The man who shouted smelled like his mate, he smelled Padfoot. He wagged his tail happily at this. Oh how he had long missed his mate. Again he sniffed their was a small dark man- child who smelled like Prongs but not Prongs, he was Prongs' cub. His pack's cub was safe.<p>

But behind little Prongs and Padfoot were two little man-children and the death-smell-dark-man. He was going to hurt Padfoot. He and his cubs were here to hurt his pack and they had Wormtail with them. They brought the kin-slayer; the traitor led them to his pack!

Mooney howled loudly and crouched aggressively baring fangs and raising his hackles at the death-smell-dark-man. He would not take his cub from him. As he started towards him something very large, heavy, and black rammed into him knocking him to the ground and pinning him beneath it's hulking mass. The scent of his mate poured into his nose but he did not understand. Could Padfoot not see the danger the interloper and his cubs posed to theirs? The death-smell-dark-man had tried to enter their territory before. It had been Prongs who removed him before, now he had returned.

Mooney struggled against Padfoot's weight but his mate did not release him.

'_No! Padfoot. He's going to harm our cub!' _Mooney growled as his mate's bulk held him down. He could only watch as the death-smell-dark-man pulled his cub away from him.

'_No!' _Mooney growled, he bit into the scruff of his mate's neck causing to yelp. Padfoot's surprise was taken to his advantage as he threw his mate from his back. Again he heard his mate yelp as he landed but he could neither see nor smell any damage to his mate.

Turning back to the death-smell man who held his cub he growled again warning the man to release his cub. But the death-smell-dark-man did nothing but cower as he pulled Mooney's cub back.

All of he sudden a sound echoed across the grounds.

Mooney turned his head to the sound coming from the forest; it was a high-pitched keening howl, a young she-wolf perhaps. She was not of his pack! Mooney barreled off towards the source of the sound. He would leave Padfoot to protect their cub; he could handle the death-smell-dark-man. A she-wolf would not be aloud anywhere near his mate.

Mooney searched the clearing that had been the sound's origin point. He couldn't smell a she-wolf anywhere but he did smell the she-man-child that belonged to the death-smell-dark-man and he could smell his own cub.

He sniffed around every rock, bush and tree to find them. He couldn't let her harm his cub; he was the only cub of his pack.

He growled lowly at her to back away from his cub, she had but a moment to do as he wished before he eliminated the threat she posed to his cub.

But just as he reared back to strike the she-man-child another creature intervened, with ripping talons, bruising hooves and beating wings. The grey creature was pulled back by his cub. His cub would be safe with this creature he surmised. It would keep the little she-man-child from harming him.

Mooney carefully backed away from the angry hippogriff, he then ran. Now that he knew his cub would be safe he had to scout the forest to make sure that nothing came to harm his pack.

* * *

><p>Harry woke to find himself in a familiar place. He sighed at the familiar surroundings of the Hospital wing.<p>

"What happened to Pettigrew?

"I am sorry to inform you of this but Mister Pettigrew has escaped from custody."

"As we have no proof of Mr. Black's innocence beyond Mr. Pettigrew's own confession we must hold Mr. Black. He will be returned to Azkaban in the morning."

"Professor you must do something! You can't let them take him back there."

"I am sorry. There is nothing I can do." The headmaster said solemnly as the officials left the room.

"But sir you must."

"I can not, now I must lock you in here now. Ms. Granger three turns should do it. And if you are careful more than one can spread their wings again."

"What was that about?

"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed as she pulled a golden chain from underneath her shirt. After pulling Harry close and clasping the chain around both of them she spun the medallion baring its hourglass.

As they relived time from an outsider's view they corrected what had been done, they saved Buckbeak the hippogriff, the saved themselves from an enraged werewolf and now they watched as more than a hundred dementors circled around Harry's past self

"It was me." Harry whispered.

"Harry wait! What are you doing! Harry!"

"Trust me." Harry said hurriedly as he bolted from their cover and pointed his wand across the lake.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry thought of that safe feeling that his parents gave in his dream, he thought of the feeling that reading Tom's letters gave him, he thought about the unconditional caring that his friend gave him for years. Then a silver white light burst forth from his wand, as it sped forward it took shape, the white light morphed itself into a great stag. The hundreds of dementors after the dementors had fled Hermione pulled him back into the underbrush where they watched as Dumbledore and several ministry officials collected them.

Minutes later they found themselves at the tower where Sirius was being kept.

"Harry? What are you doing here?

"Run away. Run far away and don't look back."

"I will come back for you Harry." With his godfather's final words the man took off, with each wing beat the man became further away from the world below. But those words had lifted Harry's heart. The very thought of escape from the Dureslys gave him hope, even if he couldn't leave it made the world a little brighter in ways that only Tom's letters had before.

With not a moment to spare they found themselves back in the hospital wing just as the headmaster was setting to lock the door.

* * *

><p>When Harry woke the next morning he found Hedwig at his bedside with a letter in her beak. How Tom knew when to mail him was a mystery to him. Harry shook his head and carefully opened the letter.<p>

_Harry,_

_My friend my only question is what have you done to incarcerate yourself in the hospital wing this time?_

_Tom_

Harry cringed slightly at Tom's bluntness. His friend generally had a way with words, but it was that eloquence that made his bluntness of the moment all the harsher. Harry sighed and picked up a quill. One could never understand a genius; after all there was a fine line between genius and insanity.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_You are scary sometimes with how much you know. How did you know that I was in the hospital wing?_

_But I guess I kind of deserved it. I sort of had an encounter with a large number of dementors. On the brighter note I can caste a fully corporeal patronus charm now._

_Harry_

Tom nearly rolled his eyes at his friend, of all the things she could ask she asked how he knew where she was. If he didn't know her better he would have been angry at her view of his intelligence. But luckily he knew her very well and he realized that she was genuinely curious.

Her curiosity he could excuse avoidance however with her always meant that it was something bad. She had said a large number but she had not said exactly how large. Everything about that statement raised red flags in his mind.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_My dear friend, you are avoiding questioning. As for how I know where you are, that is based entirely on the fact that it is the last month of school. Given what has happened to you in the last two years it was a safe bet to assume that that is where you will be. You attract danger my friend, there is nothing else to say._

_How many dementors is a 'large number' exactly? Furthermore how long are you expected to remain in the hospital wing?_

_Tom_

'_Oops'_ Harry thought as he read Tom's letter. He had hoped that his friend wouldn't actually ask.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_Sometimes having a genius as a friend is a little troublesome. I can't hide anything from you. Even if it isn't big. Sadly a large number is exactly as it sounds there were about a hundred of them. This 'adventure' sort of involved a timeturner and a few broken rules. Like the one about not seeing yourself. I sort of cast the patronus because I saw myself do it. But I had to, that saved both my godfather and me. Who as it turns out is innocent not that we can prove it the real traitor escaped custody._

_Harry_

Tom felt like banging his head into a wall as he read his friend's letter. As much as he cared for her it seemed that danger would always find her. Sometimes he wondered if it was possible to sentence her to a bubble. But then he realized that with her luck his Harry could find danger in a bubble.

* * *

><p>The day after the adventure of Moony Remus found himself waking in the depths of the forbidden forest as bare as the day of his birth. He only had flashes of the night in his mind but they terrified him. His inner wolf had claimed Harry as its cub. It had nearly killed Snape, Ron, and Hermione.<p>

There was nothing left for him to do he had to pack. But first clothes.

* * *

><p>AN:

* yes Libby was put into the story partially out of shear spite. That and adorableness I never would have thought that it was that hard to intentionally write typos. Baby talk is hard.

On an other note Libby's appearance is completely minor and bares no real significance other than more bonding time. (no mary sueing. even if she becomes awesome she wont ever be a main character)

Libby was inspired by my baby cousin's clinging to my boyfriend. He didn't know how to deal with her either. Ah the plight of an only child. It amuses me so.

as cute as this was i'm not sure how i feel about it. it was really just as i said a bonding moment type thing. let me know what you guys think.

* it was pointed out to me that Tom writes 'my friend' a lot. And yes while I suppose it could be seen as an endearment. It is more or less Tom's obsessive personality at work. Like I mentioned early on Harry is his. Anyone who tries to take Harry away or turn 'her' against him is not liked at all (Ron). Anyone who tries to harm what is his pretty much has a death wish in his opinion(remember the pretty birdy named Lockhart anyone?).

To the sweet little anonymous reviewer who asked about Harry's gender. (i am fairly sure i've said this before but if not...)

One more time I will cover it.

Harry =Male

Tom thinks (Harry=Female)

Tom is stubborn so he will just continue his delusion until someone sets him right.

* So I mentioned that this will stay mostly on track right. Well I also mentioned that it is operating with a ripple effect. The first letter was the epicenter. Big things will stay mostly the same or if they change they will try to right themselves. If you read my spoiler you understand a little more but you don't have to because it will explain… eventually. It might take me a while to get to it.

* to many of you who were wondering about why Tom didn't try to get Harry to change classes. It is because Harry never got to send a letter asking Ron made sure that their choice was final and gave them to McGonagall. I know I didn't state that specifically but that is what Harry's letter to Tom was supposed to imply. Sorry if that didn't come across.

*One thing to note. While yes Tom is sweet on Harry. He is not a kind and gentle boy, not by any means. He can be and frequently is cruel and vindictive. Harry knows that his friend can be all of these things but from his experience so can all people (poor Harry has not had very good experiences with people.) but Tom cares about him. Tom was the very first to care.

In the books Harry's immediate loyalty was to Ron because of him seemingly being the first (hagrid could be included in this too but Ron is his own age). Even When Ron disagreed and hated Harry he was always forgiven. Harry seems to feel that he owes Ron that loyalty because he was the first to care. Here it was Tom that came first and Ron will always be jealous over that fact.

Harry trusts Tom more than anyone else but he will always have that nagging worry in the back of his mind that Tom will eventually realize that he isn't worth all the trouble.

*About Draco's thoughts on Harry. He referred to Harry as petite and slightly girlish. Petite doesn't make him feminine it is a word denoting his stature (being small). His being slightly girlish is not just a Tom observation. Tom wouldn't think something without a reason. Draco however already knows that Harry is a boy (Tom is stubborn too. He wont accept something other than what he says is right until he has his proof and most likely Harry yelling at him. Oh that is going to be a fun time for me to write. )Think more or less just being soft featured some men simply are naturally.(I have a friend that is twenty four and he looks about fifteen or even younger sometimes.) but for Harry, as it was said so long ago in an Author's Note, is soft featured because his development has suffered from his neglect and abuse. He will never look as built or as sharply angled as most men would. He will always be short for the same reason.

*By the way as I have gotten a request already if any of you actually desire to do a AU of this you are more than welcomed to. The only thing I ask is that you reference this as what it was based on.

* Yay more emotional bonding! sorry Tommy you gotta learn sometime. (i'm kind of not sure about the way third year seems to be going)

*about Tom's schedule the way I understand Hogwarts scheduling is that you have varying class sets for different days so his first Arithmancy class is not on the first day of school.

*Cad Vector's name makes me laugh.

*I'm sorry if this is disappointing anyone with the way the chapters are going but quite honestly I'm just writing them as they come and hoping they at least somewhat resemble what is going on in my head.

*And yes for those that notice Tom's writing 'my friend' is his claiming possession…frequently. Good job.

*One of you wrote that I make Harry so submissive. Yes I do, he's everyone else's hero but he's Tom's 'damsel in distress'. Tom's the only one who knows the full version of what happens in Harry's home life or even his full thoughts about everything. Everyone else gets his thoughts through his boy-who-lived filter. Harry has two huge fears; being alone again (i.e. losing Tom) and failing people. People have an expectation of him and he was essentially trained to try to please.

If he had met a bogart before a dementor his bogart would have been vastly different (one of my ideas was that it would be Tom telling him that he was a disappointment and that he was worthless.)

But he did meet the dementor and well we know what those do. He relived every moment of suffering he had ever endured.

*Being friends with Tom really does affect Harry. Tom is naturally dark and Harry light, this gives him an understanding that he didn't previously. Harry's natural caring added to that will cause him to do things a bit differently. he will always feel bad about harming things because he has been on the other side of that. Being friends with Tom gives him someone he can relate to. Tom accepts his parseltounge and even encourages it so he isnt as weary about it as he is in the books.

*As of right now there is still a while left till I get to the end. I will try to do all six years unless you guys suggest and pick a option that doesn't need it.

I am going to put a pole up on my page on which ending of this you want.

* I have posted a document under the name of **Friends till the end **this is a series of oneshots showing all the prospective endings and how they would go. I still need you guys' help in picking or even combining elements from them if you think that would work better. Just take a look at it and leave a review/ vote on the poll

*To Padfoot being bigger than Mooney- in the books he is described as a bear like black dog. I honestly don't like the dog they used for him in the movies I for one reason or another always imagined Padfoot as being a larger than normal, shaggy, all black Rottweiler. (Obviously a scrawny rottie when he first escapes but still)

*Found something interesting when I was working on my final for class, I had music playing in the background and I came across a song that eerily fit this fic

Hurricane

By 30 Seconds to Mars-

Album= This is war

Think what you will this is now my writing music for this story. It helps me get things done.


	5. Year 4

Title: Pen Pals

Author: Nekoanima

Summery: What if Harry had a pen pal as a child another boy who was all alone. Harry makes friends with the young Tom Riddle as their letters bounce through time to the one they needed the most.

DISCLAIMER!: I own nothing or Harry never would have ended up with Ginny.

* * *

><p>YEAR 4<p>

It had only been a couple of weeks since Harry had returned from Hogwarts back to the woefully normal life of Privit Drive. There was not another magical person for miles. There was no one for him to talk to at all really. All the neighbors seemed to believe the Dureslys and thought that he was just not right in the head or a delinquent. But he didn't care, the loneliness didn't bother him- not anymore.

When he was small and didn't know any better he had been fine. Everything had a place in the world, his was to make himself useful to his family.

But when he got older he met someone who made his whole world wonderful. But if Harry had known anything in his young age it was that good things don't come without a price. Tom had made his life good and he had taken away the loneliness that Harry hadn't even know existed. But with it brought the painful realization that he had been alone all that time. Tom made his world good but his friend made him see how dark the world around him really was.

He had gotten a few letters early on telling him where his friends were going to be for the summer holidays but then they stopped. They always stopped, Tom was just as he had always been, he kept writing he kept Harry's world spinning sometimes. Harry wondered sometimes if the other boy ever knew what he meant to him. But then he would shake his head, Tom knew, Tom always knew.

While the Dureslys were afraid at the moment that a murderer might come and avenge him if they hurt him it really hadn't changed things much. There were no fists being dodged or kicks delivered, no hunting or screams sent his way. No they didn't do anything, anything at all, he was still expected to make breakfasts he would not eat and he still cleaned a house he barely lived in. at the end of each day he was given a slice of bread and water to keep him from wasting away if they were in a particularly good mood he was allowed a single meal with them but that was a rare occurrence on its own.

But since summer had begun he had been suffering nightmares. He hadn't told Tom of them yet they weren't worth troubling his friend. he would avoid telling him about something so trivial unless it became a problem.

* * *

><p>He stared into the fire before him, Nagani would be returning from her hunt soon.<p>

"**Master a man is outside the door."**

" **I see."**

"**it is the old one from the shack."**

"Wormtail, the old muggle caretaker is standing outside the door. He's been listening to us. Why don't you great our guest."

"Yes master."

The rodent-like man went to the door and revealed an aged muggle man with a bad limp.

* * *

><p>Harry awoke in his bedroom at Privit Drive in a cold sweat with the remnants of tears in his eyes. He had seen Voldemort in his dreams as he tortured an old man. He could still hear the old man screaming, his screams grew loudest before he was given the mercy of that acidic light.<p>

He hated mirrors. They reminded him exactly how much he wasn't worth every time he saw them. The only thing he could ever see when he looked into a mirror was a girlish boy who would probably never reach average height. He saw the beginnings of patrouding bones that warned at further weight loss if he did not soon get real sustenance. He couldn't see what everyone giggled over or talked about when he was in school. There was little to no redeemable quality about him. Even now after two years into the wizarding world he found that the only good things about his appearance were unfortunately the things that made him identifiable in a crowd, his death-curse bright eyes and his scar. When he was small he would trace over his scar and pretend that it was a family member or a friend, someone who cared that it hurt sometimes. After he started writing Tom he would imagine it to be him that was massaging the wound. In so many ways Tom made his life brighter.

Just thinking about the other boy made him feel better at times. The very thought of Tom made him feel as though he wasn't alone, as if he was- dare he think it –loved. Tom cared for him even when no one else did, in ways that he doubted anyone else would. But mirrors always made him wonder when Tom would see what everyone else saw too.

Perhaps it was time that he wrote his friend, maybe he would understand. He needed someone right now.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_I've been having horrible dreams lately. The only thing that seems to help at all is my animagus mediations. But that doesn't get me back to sleep. I need to get back to the wizarding world. I understand if you don't want to talk right now. Its just that I needed to tell someone about it._

After Hedwig took flight harry laid his head back down to rest tears filled his eyes at the very thought of sleeping, at the thought of dreaming. But exhaustion won out in the end and pulled him into its clutches.

"Harry, why are you crying precious?"

"Tom. I can't sleep."

"Are you hurt? Have they hurt you again."

"No, I'm scared. Every time I close my eyes something bad happens. They haven't done anything I just don't get to eat a lot is all."

"lift your shirt precious."

"no." Harry said stubbornly looking down in shame.

"I wont look. just enough for me to see your rib cage."

Tom released a baby blue stream of light upon Harry's body

"what was that?"

"a nutrition charm precious, the same one that I had been casting on your letters for years to keep you with me. "

"you've been keeping me alive haven't you."

"Yes. Hush now my friend. I will watch over you. Nothing will harm you while I am here."

"Thank you Tom." Harry hugged the taller boy closely and leaned into his embrace as he closed his eyes. He trusted Tom, he would keep him safe.

He laid his head on Tom's chest as the other boy hummed softly to him.

* * *

><p>When Harry opened his eyes he found himself feeling for the first time in while, peaceful and relaxed Hedwig watched him from his window sill with a letter held in her beak and a wise look in her golden eyes. It would seem that Tom had written back.<p>

_Harry,_

_I wish I could do something for your dreams. The reason that the meditations help is not for reasons of rest it is that they are calming your spirit. You can contact me at anytime my friend. I will never turn you away. Is everything alright with your family? Are they the cause of your nightmares?_

_Tom_

Harry closed Tom's letter, as he sat on his bed he couldn't help but find comfort in his friend's words. Everything Tom did for him he took comfort in. he looked up at the holly ring pined to his wall over his bed, the gossamer strands of unicorn hair that crossed it sparkled slightly in the gloom of his room while the pearly feathers that had come from his own owl seemed to shine with a light all their own.

* * *

><p><em>I know you would help if you could Tom.<em>

_No they aren't doing anything they are too scared that my godfather will turn up at their doorstep. I never actually told them that he's innocent so they are under the impression that I am liked by a mass murderer._

_I had a dream about you. I finally slept and I dreamed about you._

_You held me and you healed me. You made all the bad things in my mind go away. I know it wasn't real but it feels nice that my mind conjured you up and you took care of me when I couldn't take care of myself._

_Thanks for everything,_

_Harry_

Tom found himself being exceptionally pleased at her letter but he couldn't understand why in particular. He had always been important to her. Why did it matter now? Nothing had changed between them, they still trusted each other more than anyone else. If nothing had changed then why was he so much more pleased with this letter than the one's before it? Was the idea of her forgetting him so terrible that he was sinking to being pleased with her dreaming of him?

Yes it was, it would seem that he had become dependent on her. It was a strange thought that didn't seem to fit with anyone other than Harry. Yes he could live with her being the object of his obsession. She would never leave she was too devouted and dependent on him for stability.

A smirk crossed his face when he thought of it. Neither she nor he were dependent at all, no they were symbiotic with each other. This was no weakness like the foolish 'love' that had led to his own mother's death. Apart they were powerful he knew they were, Harry was the most powerful light witch he had ever heard of. And he was easily one of the most powerful dark wizards of his time, in time perhaps even greater than the current Dark Lord. But together, they would be invincible. Harry was the only one he could possibly ever trust to stand beside him. He knew she would, she always did.

Days and weeks passed like that, Harry would write to Tom for comfort while Tom took some strange sense of pleasure from her need of him. He realized that all too soon they would be returning to school.

"Tom, can you watch Libby?" the fourteen year old glared up over his book but Martha had already gone to answer the door. The now three year old was rushing around the room picking up toys to hand to Tom.

Tom shoved the toys off of his chest and continued with his book only to have a stuffed animal shoved in his hand.

"Its s'posed to be really really soft see." Libby chirped. The threadbare toffee colored stuffed bunny in his hand suddenly became plush and velvet like. Tom looked down to see if perhaps it had been a trick of his senses. But it hadn't the bunny in his hand looked as soft as it felt. Tom looked at the little girl who was still running around the room her dark chocolate curls bouncing as she did.

Tom knew exactly what this meant but he was still hung up on how this impossibly annoying small child could be a witch, a lower caliber witch obviously but nonetheless. He had not perceived the chances of him not being alone to be high enough to even consider the possibility of another appearing in the same orphanage as he.

"Tum, are you 'wake?"

"Yes Libby I am awake." Tom muttered. He had no way of telling Harry at the moment. He needed to discuss this with her. Then suddenly as if to answer his need an owl's screech sounded through room as Harry's snowy familiar flew through an open window.

_Tom,_

_I finally did the transformation. And I am not quite as happy with it as I thought I would be. My form is a female black Staffordshire Terrier puppy. Don't you dare tell anyone._

_Harry_

Tom laughed quietly to himself at the image of his delicate friend being a barely knee high dog. Considering what he had been told of her godfather's animagus form it was even more amusing. She really was her godfather's pup. For all the frustration he had at sharing her with others he knew that the man was an important part of her life. He was what gave her the ability to say 'I have a family'. He knew that she wanted that more than anything and as much as he cared for her Tom knew that he couldn't be her family. Even as similar as the are the thought of it just didn't work.

Perhaps all the so-called doctors that Mrs. Coal had allowed to study him had been right. Perhaps he was a little wrong. They had all come claiming him to be a sociopath, or antisocial, one of them even claimed that was bipolar. But he had done as he always had and did his research. He had driven them mad to their own institutes or whatever hell that they had come from. He refused to believe that there was any problem with him after all a sociopath or an antisocial cant form any attachment his attachment to Harry proved them completely wrong.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_Your form is better than mine. Staffordshire Terriers are known to be called 'nanny dogs' they are non-human aggressive and they are very protective of their family. They are also fairly small. Unfortunately they trust humans far more than they should and can easily follow a complete stranger home. Females in particular excel at all of these innate traits though they are more known for having a temper. It would seem to me that your form fits you perfectly my dear friend._

_I am a crow. An abundantly common black bird with red tinted eyes. This does not amuse me at all. I believe I had been expecting something a bit more impressive._

_Tom_

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_Are you saying that I'm too trusting or that I have a temper? Or are you saying something about my height?_

_Anyway, crows are Morrigan's messengers they fly over battlefields and collect the souls of the dead. They are emissaries of Hecate a goddess of magic and fate. I found a mythology book one time and crows had been in it pretty cool huh. I think that it fits you perfectly and after all. Your magic is always amazing I think that having the form of a patron goddess of magic's totem suits you perfectly._

_Another thing to consider is that if your form is so common then no one would ever know you're there._

_Harry_

Tom sat on his bed pensively, he still had not told Harry about Libby's being a witch. Normally he had all the answers but really it had been Harry who had told him to look after her. He had no idea how to proceed,

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_Take my statement however you will._

_The books you find amuse me sometimes. I suppose that you are right it could be an advantage._

Harry could practically see Tom's smirking face in his mind. His friend really was quite terrible for picking on his height. But Harry wouldn't fault him. It wasn't that Tom could do no wrong, no it wasn't that at all Tom could do a lot of wrong. No it was that no mater the wrong his friend had done Harry would always forgive him because Tom was always there for him.

_Also my friend something uniquely interesting has come to my attention. It would seem that the child you so graciously shoved into my care is a witch. Now my dear friend I must ask what am I to do about this?_

_Tom_

Harry stared at Tom's letter for a moment. Tom was right to be lost. He had a toddler witch in his care and by default under the same care of the matron who had on numerous occasions let him down. Harry remembered a time when Tom had said that the only good the woman had ever done for him was let him write that first letter.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_I know this will seem terrible but please don't let anyone adopt her. Especially when she get to be older, I don't want her to go through what we have. Maybe a biological muggle family would have understood but not an adopted one. I know that you can do that._

Tom couldn't help but agree with his friend. While he didn't particularly care for Libby one way or another it was Harry's request for him to watch over her. For his Harry he would give her, the world, protecting one child would pose no problem for him.

Finally a letter from Ron. if he accepted then he wouldn't have to see the Dursley s for another whole year.

Quickly he scribbled his reply as the feathered tennis ball known as Pigwidgeon zoomed around his room excitedly. Hedwig glared menacingly at the intruder before turning to her master, clearly asking for something to be done about the small nuisance.

* * *

><p><em>Hi Tom,<em>

_Guess what._

_Ron and his family scored tickets to the Quidditch World Cup. I'm kind of excited now, I'm not really sure how they are coming to pick me up though. I hope they wont do anything too bad. There is only so much that fear of my godfather can stop with my family._

_I'll be staying the rest of the summer break with his family so Hedwig is going to stay with you and Nagani for a little while sorry if they bicker. I just don't want her deciding that its easier to just eat Pigwidgeon._

Tom felt a vein in his temple throb unpleasantly. Oh how he hated her friend. The sniveling whelp seemed to take pleasure in getting _his _friend into danger. Time and time again if something happened to her while she was in his care at the tournament, anything at all he would make sure that boy would suffer.

A malevolent smirk crossed Tom's face at the thought. It would be even better if he couldn't beg for Harry's help.

* * *

><p>Harry frowned as he and the Weasleys passed the Minister of Magic. After what happened at the end of his third year he had little to no faith in the current government. How could they be so dense as to let a man, who was kept in a size-adjusting cage, out? Was it really so hard? Better still they let out a man the entirety of wizarding Brittan thought to be dead. Perhaps Tom was right, the ministry really was just full of block heads.<p>

After the match ended disaster struck and a riot broke out. throngs of people were running and screaming in terror while Mr. Weasley told the teens to head for the forest.

"Mum?" Harry turned back as he heard a child's voice calling out. Back in the swarm of people was a little girl perhaps no more than nine years old standing there with a Veela doll in hand. Harry rushed back to her causing the rest of them to pause

"here climb on my back. I'm sure your mum is somewhere over there. And if she's not I'll help you look for your dad afterwards ok."

"you promise?"

"I promise." With that the doll like blonde climbed onto Harry's back.

With the girl now situated on his back he broke off into a run. Years of avoiding Dudley had made him good at it.

"Malfoy!" Ron hissed as they came to a clearing a while later

"Shut up Ron they're just as lost as we are." Then Harry turned to Draco "come on everyone is going this way it would be better if we all stuck together."

The group nodded in acceptance and began running again along the way they saw Crouch's houseelf having a fit. But as they passed it something green burst into the sky like it was weaving the clouds then there came rustling in the trees all around them, they were surrounded. Just before everything went dark there were flashes of bright light coming at them from all directions. Harry and the others stood back to back protecting the little girl who was on his.

Moments latter they all came to at wand point.

"is this your wand boy?" a gruff man barked in Harry's face while holding his wand in his other hand

"yeah I thought it got lost in the crowd."

"no he didn't, he didn't have a wand this whole time." The little blond chirped with her big blue doe eyes.

"so you allowed someone to borrow your wand for the dark mark."

"no."

"Leave the boy be Crouch."

"Greengrass?"

"That's my little girl he has on his back."

"Daddy?" the nine year old slid off of Harry's back and ran up to the man who had spoken.

"and that's my son." Arthur Weasley called out causing Ron to turn towards his father. At the same time Draco saw his own father amongst them. The look in the blond man's eyes was enough to cause Draco to reinforce his Slytherin mask. He would never show himself as weak before his father.

* * *

><p>After the start of term feast was done Tom headed down into the bowels of the castle to the Slytherin dorms respining that warming charms set into the wards as he went.<p>

As he reached the fourth year boy's dorm he stopped. Tom frowned as he heard the other boys in his dorm discussing the Quidditch World Cup. He was still rather sore about Harry going to such a thing with her red headed friend. No sore didn't even begin to cover it, it pissed him off.

"Hey Riddle did you go to the Cup?"

"No."

"Aw too bad. It was awesome. Ireland's team was great this year. They nearly always get the best players. Bulgaria gets lucky they only get in maybe once every ten years or so."

"If you all would so kindly cease your babbling about that infernal sport. I have already heard quite enough about it from an acquaintance of mine."

"Oh damn Riddle, your girl likes Quidditch? Honestly she's wasted on you."

"Avery." The air in the room became heavy with Tom's magic as he made his ire at the other boy very clear. Like many times before the mouthy boy paled in realization to whom he was talking. Really Avery had no control over what came out of his mouth most days.

"Sorry Riddle." With that the air around them became breathable again as if there had never been a difference in the first place.

"And to your answer yes Harry enjoys Quidditch, she's a seeker."

"I wonder how she managed that, there are not many places that will allow a girl onto a team."

"She got in on talent and sheer force of luck." Tom's voice was barely audible as he said the last part

"Then you heard about the riot at the Cup then right, if your girl was there?"

"What riot? She told me of nothing other than the match."

"It was nothing big just a couple of the Dark Lord's supporters getting together, they couldn't resist something that big. All they did was stir up the little light wizards a bit"

"Nott, as you all so eloquently put it 'my girl' happens to be a light witch."

"You're joking."

"I do not joke."

"Does she know that you're… well you."

"She knows more about me than any of you ever will." Tom said sagely.

"and she still you know, likes you?" Alphard chirped.

"I think the better question is does she trust you?" Travis Nott said evenly. Everyone went silent at the look in Tom's eyes.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_My dear friend, I believe you left a few minor details out of your description of the events of the Quidditch World Cup. One would think that you don't trust me?_

_Tom_

Harry paled slightly, he had been hoping that with as much as Tom hated Quidditch he wouldn't find out, but then again he also read the paper. It only furthered his shame at being caught that Hermione and Ron were discussing it.

"Really Ronald, yes it was terrible what they did but this is not the first time this has happened they were staging themselves to prove a point."

"what point was that and what do you mean it's happened before?"

"it happened in the early 40's there was a riot of the Dark Lord Grindelwald's followers at the world cup then too. This was to prove that even with their lord gone the Death Eaters are just as powerful as their forefathers were with their lord."

"Huh." Ron said off handedly. Out the corner of his eye he could see Harry writtin a reply to his curse happy friend.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_That's not true I do trust you. I trust you with my life any day of the week. You mean the world to me and I didn't want you to worry when it wasn't necessary. I wasn't hurt and neither were any of my friends, the only ones that might have been hurt were a family of muggles that were helping to operate the grounds. But even they weren't hurt bad the aurors showed up in time._

"Leave him alone Parkinson." A delicate pixie like hand grabbed Pansy's own and forced her to lower her wand from its train on Potter as he was crouched over a piece of parchment scribbling away.

"but Daphene…"

"I can see his boyfriend's magic on those letters of his from here. His boyfriend's magic is almost black flecked with blue and silver like a clear night. Potter wont hold being dark against anyone. He saved my sister from the crowds at the cup. That earns him something."

"What about Potter himself then surely he's not dark."

"No, his magic looks like lapis. He is very light."

"Then how is the letter writer dark? I don't get it!"

"Stop whining. There is nothing to get, he is accepting of the other side that is all there is to it. But wont Dumbledore be in for a surprise when he realizes that his 'golden boy' is love struck neutral."

"You mean he wouldn't fight?"

"Oh he'll still fight of that I'm sure. But he wont be doing it because we are dark, he'll be fighting to protect the ones he loves. Even his knight in dark armor."

"Do you think he knows yet?"

"He has no idea. He is still innocent in the old fool's eyes. As long as he's innocent he wont know."

"I almost feel bad for him, he's a weapon and he doesn't even know it."

"My little cousin will look after him."

"But she's…"

"Just let him be for now."

"if you say so."

* * *

><p>A few weeks past with nothing particularly remarkable happening, Tom quite simply was board out of his mind. He planed, he plotted, he coerced people into doing things that were necessary but it seemed that he went through this phase every year where he would have to acclimate himself to the lack of intelligence surrounding him. He would haunt the library until he had a pet project.<p>

However his spell of boredom was sporadically interrupted by his friend's letters. Letters about the upcoming tournament, her classes, just irreverent whimsical things, they were things that they didn't even need to say but they did. Like so many times before Tom found that those little moments with her were the ones he enjoyed most. Ones where he didn't share her with anyone, where they only belonged to each other. They were simple times for two very complex people.

There were letters of warning like one would expect between them.

_Tom,_

_Have you ever heard of a Triwizard Tournament?_

_Harry_

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_I have, if that is what your school is so energized for I must ask that you refrain from entering. People die in that tournament. Even if you are offered the chance to compete I want you to turn it down._

_Tom_

* * *

><p><em>Alright Tom,<em>

_I wasn't planning on entering anyway, I don't need the prize money and I don't want fame. But our headmaster has put up an age line just in case. It's probably better that the younger students cant enter at all. That way they cant possibly get picked right?_

_Harry_

* * *

><p>But then there was a letter that came that was not one such letter, it came in the middle of the night during dinner with a howling storm making its furry known to the outside world, as it forced the tall doors of the great hall to creek a single blur zipped into the hall. How she did it he would never know as all the owl entrances were sealed off for the storm, but there she was.<p>

Hedwig. instead of her normal pristine white she was drenched and grey with wide fearful, anxious eyes. If any were ever to doubt her intelligence or capacity for human understanding it was times like these that threw away any doubts.

Tom pulled the sopping letter from the bedraggled bird's talons while one of the other Slytherin's tried to handle her only to be clawed, bitten and screeched at in return. Tom quickly cast drying charms on both bird and letter standing as he went. The entire hall's eyes were upon him as he left without a care. There was only one worry to him right then only one- Harry.

After reaching the dungeons Tom opened the letter again, there still glaring at him, still blurred and smudged, where those terrible words.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_I've been chosen. I never put my name in I did what you said. I don't understand how this happened and they wont let me withdraw. They said that my name in the cup was all that was necessary for a binding contract to think I was willing. Tom please help me._

_Harry_

Every feeling of helplessness he had ever felt came crashing over his ears as he stared at those words. His friend was trapped in a blood-sport with no way out and competitors with two and even three years more training than she. Every other danger before seemed like child's play now. But there was a stern realization to it. With every trial his Harry endured the closer and closer it seemed that he came to losing her.

'_Harry please don't ever do that to me.' _Tom thought as he leaned brokenly against the stonewall of the dungeon corridor. He was as he would never show anyone, he was vulnerable like this.

Days passed on and letter by letter things seemed to get better but that looming grey cloud still stood in the back of Tom's mind. This year is friend was truly afraid and was hiding nothing. She gave him every detail; the ceremonies, the reactions, everything. But in the end he still reached the same conclusion as before. There was truly something terrible coming for his friend this year. Something that he had no means to protect her from

* * *

><p><em>Hi Tom,<em>

_I had an interesting day. This afternoon Draco was being a nuisance, not that he isn't always but apparently he was going to hex me when my back was turned. Our defense professor, who is an old auror, caught him and turned him into a ferret Draco was a bouncing ferret for a few minutes. Then my transfiguration professor came and asked what was going on. He said he was teaching. Then she realized that the ferret was a student. So this ends with me having to carry Draco the ferret to the hospital wing. The stupid git climbed in my shirt when I was carrying him. Ferret claws are not comfortable things._

_I hexed him hot pink with red hair after he was human again. I don't think the nurse will put him right for a while._

'_Good girl.'_ Tom thought as he read Harry's letter. His ire at her Slytherin-like friend was still very present. But knowing that his actions had not gone unpunished had settled it slightly. It annoyed him greatly that he had used his animal state to get a look down _his_ friend's shirt. Tom quickly stood from his place at the table after packing his bag he made his way to the seventh floor. He was in desperate need to take his anger out on something or blow something up.

Yes that sounded quite nice.

* * *

><p>Harry felt like a specimen in a jar, everyone seemed to be watching him. They were either in awe at his being a champion or they were jeering at him. Whispers floated through the school of how he cheated while others said that he had been destined to do it, that the cup chose on its own. Whatever they chose to believe every student was watching him.<p>

They all watched and waited. They were like vultures on his shoulders; they wanted answers to the very questions he had asked himself. But there were no answers no one knew, and very soon he would be forced to risk his life because they would give him no other choice. If he forfeit or withdrew from the tournament he could be marked as a coward or even be stripped of his magic. It had been so long since anyone even wanted the tournament let alone wanted to withdraw from it that they didn't know the repercussions of withdrawing.

As the rest of the school and their visitors watched him his own house began to shun him. They were furious that he had made it passed the age line when none of them had. Hermione was beside herself with worry and frustration once she realized that he had not entered his own name. Ron was being as frustrating about the tournament as he had about learning that he spoke parseltounge. The twins oddly enough were on Hermione's side with a bit more humor about the grimness of the situation.

This was just one of those times that he wished Tom was here with him. Even if his friend didn't know what to do, he could be a comfort. Even in his most demanding and cynical of moods Tom was a comfort. Harry wondered if Tom knew exactly how much he meant to him sometimes.

* * *

><p>SLAM!<p>

Tom was startled up from his writings as a very old and very large tome was thrown upon the table he was working at.

"Why have you given me a book on dragons? I do not take care of magical creatures." He looked up at Abraxaus balefully.

"I am sorry my lord I didn't know what its subject was on."

"Abraxaus are you blind? It quite clearly states on the cover 'Dragons A Many: The Great Beasts of Our World'

"It is a manual in parselscript, my lord. I can not read it."

"Parselscript?" Oh Tom could guess quite clearly what parselscript was but he wanted the conformation. Harry would say that it was his ego needing to be stroked; that he wanted someone else to tell him he was right.

"It is the written word of your ancestors, my lord." With Abraxaus' murmured words the gears in Tom's mind started spinning faster than they had before.

"I see. Have you any other texts such as this one?"

"Yes my lord, they are in an old section of my family's library."

"I would like them. They are of no use to your family so you should have no qualms about giving them to me."

"No my lord."

"See to it that you do then."

"Yes my lord."

* * *

><p>Harry wandered the forgotten corridors of Hogwarts. They were places that were either hidden or places that had long been out of use. It made him wonder sometimes why the castle was so big when they only used a small fraction of it for classes. There were so many empty rooms and places to hide; it really was built like a fortress. He used the wonderful fortress to his advantage a great deal of the time now, honestly he was as alone as often now as he had been in second year. For all of Gilaroy Lockhart's moronic babbling he was right. Fame was a fickle friend indeed.<p>

* * *

><p>Draco watched Harry from afar. Ever since he was chosen he became more and more distant. He really couldn't consider Harry and himself truly friends; there were too many differing opinions between them. But they weren't enemies either. They simply had an odd understanding between them.<p>

But he wasn't the only one. The other Slytherins had started watching him too. There were whispers going through the old families. Whispers of things to come and of blackening marks. Their children knew what this meant just as they did. The Dark Lord was returning and it was only a matter of time.

Draco hadn't known about Harry's apparent boyfriend until Daphene had mentioned what her sight saw over the letters. That had been one of the times that he was very thankful that his father hadn't carried through with contracting him to her. That girl and her sight scared him. Better Blaise than him any day really. Xalia Zabini was snake if there ever was one and she made sure she got her son a wife she would be proud of.

Daphene and her sister both had that sight just as their mother and her sister had before them. Though given how their cousin was it was a good possibility that she had it too. That family was full of crazy women. Dangerous, crazy women, those Ravenclaws did not know what they were meddling with. Really he almost felt bad for them if that family ever took action.

* * *

><p>Weeks passed slowly and Harry found himself visiting Lyra and exploring the castle grounds more and more. On one such exploration he came across the Thestral herd in the forest. He could sit on a log and simply watch them, frequently he felt very much like them.<p>

Harry stood in a clearing near the edge of the forbidden forest. It was far enough he could be alone and have time to think but still on the near side of the basilisk's dividing line. The line that marked the wild part of the forest. At least here he could find some peace.

"They're Thestrals." Harry turned away from the winged horses in the clearing to see a small blond girl standing beside him. She was small and delicate looking. She stepped past him and pulled a tin from her bag, which revealed a rather large slab of raw meat.

"I know my friend told me about them in my second year." Harry said as the girl tossed the meat to the small Thestral foal.

"They are really quite gentle. Your friend is very clever."

"Yeah, he is."

"He makes you feel. You don't know it yet but you will. " Harry looked over at the girl startled. Her crystalline blue eyes sparkled similarly to Dumbledore's but different still there was just something unexplainable in her eyes.

"Wait what?" Harry still pondered over her statement

"You should know that just because something can't be true doesn't mean it isn't."

"What?"

"And just because something is wrong doesn't mean it isn't right either."

"You make no sense." Harry shook his head at the strange girl with starlight blond hair.

"I'm Luna by the way. My name. You were going to ask." The fae-like blonde said as she turned to walk away.

"Well yeah but."

"No buts you should sleep soon you have a big day coming up."

"I don't even know what to expect how can I sleep."

"The nightmares wont go away. But if you let him he can make them better."

"Who?"

"Neither of you know it. You are both very funny. Always spinning each other around your words. The only ones who know each other it's really quite romantic." She spoke dreamily as she turned back to see him as he jogged to catch up to her.

"You have wrackspurts floating all through your mind right now. You'll figure it out soon enough." She laughed lightly.

"What are wrackspurts? And who's romantic?"

"Wrackspurts are funny little things their invisible you see and they swarm all around your head making your thoughts go fuzzy."

"Oh."

"But you should rest soon. Your answers will come when you need them." Luna smiled again. Harry didn't think he had ever met anyone as odd as she was.

Not three days after his talk with Luna Harry got a letter from Hagrid telling him to meet him. That night he found what they were giving the champions as a first task.

The next morning as he past Cedric he felt guilty. He couldn't let the other boy go on without telling him what they were facing. He carefully pulled the sixth year away from his friends and informed him of the dragons.

The other two schools' champions had obviously been informed of their first task like he had. There was no surprise in their eyes as Bagman revealed the task to them.

Harry stood in the arena for the first task over in the other areas he could hear some one screaming.

"**Filthy humans! Away from my nest! Away from my clutch! AWAY!" **Harry could only stare in amazement, as the words seemed to be spilling from the maw of the Welsh Green. He turned to the other dragons and found similar utterances coming from them. While the Swedish Short-Snout and Chinese Fireball had a strange accent it was still heard in perfect English to him but no one else seemed to hear their cries. It was then that it dawned on him that they weren't being understood by the people at all. He truly was the only one to hear their vengeful words. They were speaking parseltounge. He hadn't been close enough to hear anything more than roars before but now that he was close he could clearly hear them.

This revelation made him feel much better about his own trial. But as he walked towards the great beast that the Horntail was he couldn't hear any words coming from her, only vicious snarls and a deafening roar. Why did he get the only one of the bunch that couldn't be reasoned with? Fate was a cruel mistress indeed.

* * *

><p><em>Hey Tom,<em>

_Did you know that Swedish Short-Snouts and Chinese Fireballs spoke parseltounge? Guess which dragons I didn't end up dealing with. Of coarse I don't get to deal with the dragons that I could actually talk to and convince. No I get stuck with a Hungarian Horntail, it speaks parseltounge about as well as a cave man does English and the back end was as dangerous as the front, if I hadn't summoned my broom she would have killed me just standing. I hate this stupid tournament. Whose bright idea was it to have tournament that you cant withdraw from?_

_Harry_

Tom felt relieved, one task was over and done and his friend seemed no worse for it than before.

* * *

><p><em>Hello Harry,<em>

_I found a parselscript manual. It says that nearly all dragons speak parseltounge. The exceptions to this are those of the largest breeds namely Ukrainian Ironbellys and Hungarian Horntails. It said that they had evolved too far different from snakes to retain that ability._

_Apparently a descendent of Salazar Slytherin's did try to reteach it to an infant Ironbelly and eventually it could speak a few words but they were thick and guttural. The study ended when it was big enough to consider him a snack. The whole story was quite interesting._

_Tom_

"Tooom." Harry groaned as he read his friend's letter. Why hadn't he sent a letter to him before the task? Oh right he didn't want to cheat and using a magical prodigy as a reference guide was defiantly cheating in his book and most likely the judges too.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_You my friend are a sadist. But I love you anyway. Now where did you find a parselscript manual I didn't even know there were any. The only reason I even know about parselscript at all was because I found a portrait of a snake and an inkpot. The snake was writing with the tip of its tail and when I asked him what he was writing he told me it was a parsel poem. I rather like talking to him so I made copies of his portrait. I think next summer I want to try painting him another one. You know I kind of wonder what it's like for paintings, they aren't alive but they have emotions and thoughts. I wonder if they get board or lonely._

_I don't really want to do this but I'll try doing it on my own. I wish I was just a spectator in this stupid thing. Why won't anybody actually believe me that I didn't put my name in?_

_Harry_

Tom felt an odd sense of delight at Harry's words. She accepted him, loved him she said, even though she knew he was… Tom smirked. _'Less than moral'_ he thought. There were times that he wondered how someone so perfect as her came to be. Even after seven years he still didn't know the answer to that. She defied everything around her that should have made her cold and harsh to those around her but every time she forgave and gave more than the last.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_My friend, you may not realize it but the tournament you are currently a part of is not about sportsmanship at all. It is essentially what are the most creative ways you can cheat and not get caught. If you don't find your answer I want to contact me about it no matter what. I don't want you facing something without knowing what you will be going up against._

_I do believe that it would be an interesting venture to learn. Not particularly useful or practical but it would be interesting._

_Tom_

Harry shook his head as he read Tom's letter. He knew that the only reason his friend was interested in paintings was a) because it would keep him out of trouble. B) There were not very many magical artists. So Tom would see it as an academic challenge.

* * *

><p><em>Hi Tom,<em>

_Things are pretty hectic here. There is going to be a ball here soon for the tournament. All the boys in my year and higher are searching for dates for the ball._

_Ron made an absolute fool of himself by trying to ask a part Veela witch. She turned him down and he was a bit of a mess afterwards. I wish I didn't have to go. But as a champion I'm expected to get a date and lead the opening of the ball._

_On other news Ron managed to insult Hermione. After all his magnificent failures at getting a date. He turned to her and said and I quote 'mione you're a girl aren't you.' she was furious with him. She turned him down and pointed out that she already had a date. After she left he said that she was just saying that so she wouldn't feel bad about not being able to get a date. That was actually pretty cruel of him to think that. I'm fairly sure that Hermione wouldn't say she had a date if she didn't._

_Now Ron and I have to bite the bullet and get a date. Draco was making fun of me saying I would have to wear heals just to be seen by my partner. On that note I'm stuck taking a girl from my house. It feels really awkward. I'm supposed to lead because the champions take first dance but I barely know her and she's taller than me. Our head of house has been giving us all dancing lessons though so here's to hoping. On another note giggling should be outlawed it is incredibly frustrating to try and talk some girl into going on a date with Ron only to have them start giggling when I'm talking. This whole thing might as well be considered the fourth task for all its troubles._

"Is something the matter my lord?" Abraxaus looked over at Tom's form lying on the black leather sofa nearest the common room's fireplace. The other boy had a deep frown marring his handsome features clueing to trouble for someone.

"Harry is attending a ball at her school."

"Really this is good is it not?"

"She found a date at the last minute and is now going with another girl."

"I see and you are not fond of her attending with a partner?"

"Abraxaus please think before you speak." Tom said menacingly.

"I do not understand my lord?" Abraxaus paused cautiously if there was one thing he had learned about the other boy in four years it was that he was dangerous.

"She is attending the ball with another woman."

"I can not see the problem."

" Explain how it is not a problem then I may explain why it is?"

"Um perhaps it could be a problem as her partner was chosen out of dire need. But I do not see how anything could be wrong with it."

"Abraxaus. You are a pure blood correct?"

"Yes my lord thirteen generations."

"You believe that magic should only breed with magic correct?"

"Yes my lord." Abraxaus said carefully he didn't understand where this was going.

"Then tell me how it is that you would not be bothered by two women together. There is no breeding of any kind to be had." Abraxaus breathed a sigh of relief his young lord was merely confused. Despite all his lord's intelligence he really was just a child. A child abandoned to the muggle world, armed with only the knowledge he had procured himself.

"My lord it does not bother me in that way because they can produce children. There are potions and things that would allow a partnership of that nature to produce a child. There is no stigma against such things as a witch or wizard that is not betrothed is free to be with whomever they may choose and it will still allow them a family. The only difference is that it is a great deal more complex a process than with a witch and wizard.

"How interesting." Tom says with no emotion coloring his voice to give away his inner thoughts. It was a trait that Abraxaus found himself very weary of. There were many times that his lord seemed to be a very unsettling creature.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_The Yule ball was terrible. Please Avada Kadavera me now. It was embarrassing. Not only did I have to dance in front of three schools, I had to do it all the while my dance partner was remarking on how terrible a dancer I was. Though funny enough Hermione got a dance with Victor, one of the other champions. Fred was sore all night for some reason; he even went so far as to give his and George's sweets to a first year. Those things are dangerous really they are still experimental. He cooled off about whatever he was mad at when Hermione busted him for experimenting on helpless first years._

_Everyone keeps asking if I've solved the egg yet I keep telling them that I've almost got it but truthfully I haven't even started. I don't know where to begin really. Every time I open it, it starts screaming._

_One of the other champions gave me a tip to take a bath with it. Whatever that means I'm not so sure that taking a bath with it will help me solve it._

_Harry._

Tom frowned slightly at his friend's words while he was quite pleased with the fact that her date had gone poorly he wanted her happy. The riddle of the egg however that was incredibly interesting obviously it wasn't what it seemed. _'Screeching and water. I wonder… Merfolk!' _Tom scrolled through the entire repository of knowledge his brain possessed for any information he knew of merfolk. Unfortunately what he knew of them was not pleasant news for his friend in the least.

Merfolk while considered beings found amusement in luring humans into their territories and drowning them to watch them struggle.

* * *

><p>Harry wandered to the prefects' bathroom that Cedric had informed him of. He really didn't understand the purpose of it, maybe Tom was right and the other boy was just pulling his leg. Harry hoped this wasn't the case, as he rather liked being able to trust people. He knew good and well that not being able to trust led to problems. Tom was proof of that. The only people in his friend's life were himself and Nagani.<p>

"Ooooh another one." Harry turned to the sound of a crooning voice only to see one of Hogwarts' many resident ghosts- Moaning Myrtle.

"Hi Myrtle. "

"Hello Harry." The youthful ghost said coyly. Myrtle leered at the bubbles surrounding Harry. But the boy didn't notice the look on her face; he was too busy trying to solve the egg's puzzle.

"You should try dunking it, that's what the other one did. "

"Thanks Myrtle." Harry did as she suggested submerging the golden egg completely under water. As he did so a wordless melody began to echo through the bathroom.

"Well that's great at least it isn't shrieking now." Harry found himself getting annoyed with he task more and more. But suddenly inspiration struck him and he submerged himself with the egg. Suddenly the melody began to spin words with an ancient but beautiful woman's voice singing them softly."

"Come seek us where our voices sound

We cannot sing above the ground

And while your searching ponder this

We've taken what you'll sorely miss

An hour long you'll have to look

To recover what we took

An hour's gone, the prospect's black

Too late, it's gone, it won't come back" The ancient flowing voice died off only to begin her poem once more.

"Myrtle are there mermaids in the black lake?"

"Oh you are clever Harry. The other one took so much longer."

"So all I have to do is be able to hold my breath for an hour then. That's not all that hard." Harry rolled his eyes in annoyance. Quietly he leaned out of the tub and pulled from his robe a piece of parchment. He conceded, he would ask Tom. He paid no heed to the wandering eyes of the voyeuristic ghost behind him. He redressed himself quickly and set off for the tower where he knew Hedwig would be.

Meanwhile deep in the underbelly of the school the judges were casting the spell for the tournament's second task.

Dumbledore watched carefully as Ludo Bagman drew the names of each champion's most precious person.

"Fleur Delecour, Gabriel Delecour- relationship, Family"

"Cedric Diggery, Cho Chang-relationship, Romantic"

"Victor Krum, Hermione Granger- relationship, Romantic/Friendship"

"Harry Potter…" Ludo paused for a moment a look of confusion crossing his face.

"Is something the matter, Ludo?" Dumbledore asked gently.

"It would appear that we have a problem with Mr. Potter's person."

"What does it say Bagman?" Bartimus Crouch gruffed sternly. Even in a game the surly man did not tolerate the nonsense the other man lived by.

"It says Harry Potter, Tom- relationship, Romantic/Friendship."

"Do you know anything about this boy Dumbledore?"

"I'm afraid I do not." Dumbledore said with just the right amount of confusion coloring his voice. He had never expected this. He knew that Tom would get close to Harry. It was simply the way he operated he would deceive one into thinking he was wonderful and generous before going in for his last strike. He never had ever believed that even Harry would have the capacity to love such a terrible monster, even in his larval form as Tom Riddle. They must never realize what they were to each other, if they did Voldemort would be able to use this misplaced love to manipulate Harry and then the light would stand no chance at all.

"Well then what do we do?"

"Perhaps we should replace the boy with someone else Harry is of similar standing with."

"Hey that is a good idea. Why didn't I think of that?" Ludo Bagman said jollily.

Not a moment too late Harry saw a white speck coming closer to him. Hedwig dropped what appeared to be a cluster of green rubbery rat-tails and a letter in front of him.

_This is Gillyweed. It will help you. Be careful my friend. Send me a letter as soon as you can._

_Tom_

Harry smiled softly to himself Tom always pulled through for him in the end.

Soon the whistle sounded and all the champions dived into the frigid depths of the black lack.

Harry swam the murky depths of the black lake, escaping the grabby long fingers of Grindelows and carrying on further into the darkness of the aquatic domain.

After a long while it seemed, he found a mermish village.

Tied to a large stone in the middle of the mermish village were the limp forms of four humans. Fear flooded him. '_Please don't let them be dead'_ he thought worriedly. He swam quickly to their side. Now close to them he could see their identities. It was Hermione, Cho and Ginny and a little girl with silver hair like Fleur. He checked the pulse of each of them, he sighed a steady stream of bubbles, they were all alive and well. He swam to the base of the stone where a shell bed lay and picked up a particularly sharp shell and took it back up to the captives. As he tried to cut them loose a clawed hand grabbed his.

"You may only take that which is yours." The monstrous water dwelling being said, her voice ancient and musical like the waters she lived in.

"But they're all my friends." Harry yelled though his words were muffled by a stream of bubbles flowing from his mouth.

"Only yours." The chieftainess stated again revealing her wickedly sharp teeth.

"They are mine!" Harry said again as he turned back to cut them loose again.

In the middle of his toils Cedric came. His head was surrounded by a bubble and he simply waved his wand and clearly said the cutting spell, releasing Cho and swimming up with her.

Victor came next with a poorly done transfiguration. In the interests of protecting Hermione from her boyfriend's teeth he handed Krum the shell, which he quickly used and he swam up as well.

Now all that remained were Ginny and the little girl. But Fleur was nowhere to be seen and time was running out. He would not leave her to the merefolk's mercy for if what he knew from reading was correct then they had none to give.

He cut Ginny and the little girl loose and fought his way to the surface with them.

Once back on land he was surrounded by people and judges all the while having Ludo Bagman ranting something or another.

"There was a bit of a mix up when we first did the spell to see who would be sent down there. When we did it all we got was a boy's first name."

Harry looked up at Ludo Bagman slightly. "Um… who's name was it sir?"

"Well it said Tom, but you see we couldn't find anyone in particular with just that so we picked from your friends." Harry didn't know whether to be grateful or annoyed with this turn of events.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_Be vary glad I don't know your surname. If I had you would have ended up submerged for about an hour unconscious. They made Ginny- Ron's sister, my person instead. It's a little weird with her now._

_On another note Fleur thinks I'm not worthless anymore after I got her baby sister out of the lake._

_Bye Tom I'm going to go sleep for a week._

_Harry_

Tom had very mix feelings about this task of hers, they had wanted the person most important to the champion to be taken. They had drawn his name, which meant that he was the most important person to his friend. That gave him … something he couldn't quite place what the feeling was exactly. Only that it was good. On the other hand the tournament committee had chosen that red buffoon's little sister as his friend's most precious person. That was an emotion he could identify quite easily, rage and annoyance. Then again he would probably feel that anyway if they had been capable of taking him instead. Yet again if they had he would have finally met his friend in person. That would have made all of it worthwhile.

In his amusement he wrote his reply to his friend.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_My surname will be given if you ever desire to know it. I would have been most displeased to be in that situation. As for Ginny I find her to be a nuisance that I have no problem what so ever cursing. Simply say the word my friend and I will do it for you._

_But truly my friend you keep saving little girls from danger, honestly I would not be surprised if they started calling you mother and line up like a row of ducklings behind you._

_Sleep well my friend you have earned it._

_Tom_

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_I'm alive if that's what you wanted to know. I forgot to mention that in my last letter. I finished the task and even got bonus points for my 'saving people thing' as you and Hermione called it._

_Did you know that a wizard could speak Mermish? My headmaster did and they didn't try to actually harm any of the champions. It kind of makes me wonder if the books were wrong or if maybe they just like the headmaster._

_Well now that that's over we have a good long while yet till the third and final task. So breath easy and stop worrying I know you are._

_And don't call me a mother duck it's weird. Which Ginny still is. She broke up with another one of her boyfriends recently and she seemed to want me to say something about it. All I could really say was that I was sorry she was so upset. Everybody's been weird lately Ron is acting like Ginny too. If I ever start acting like that can you curse me to knock some sense into me._

_Harry_

Tom shook his head lightly he really didn't understand people's emotions any better than she did. He had no advice to offer. But he would most defiantly do as she said if she started behaving oddly. After all, he would not permit lies even ones from her lips. For her to behave oddly would entail that something was very wrong or that someone was controlling her. Neither of which would he allow to happen. If they did they would be swiftly remedied. She would not be able to fault him for harming others in an effort to keep her safe.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_My friend I am glad you completed the task with out any problems. I am amused that you seem to think just because your task is over that I have no need to worry over you. I will always worry about you my friend it is simply the way things are you could find trouble in a padded round room._

_Mermish being spoken is actually an impressive feat. It is one of the hardest languages to learn it is only ranked second because the first is parseltounge, which requires a genetic predisposition to speak. Mortem Linguam is ranked as the third hardest to learn._

_I do not think that the books are wrong on this one my friend I believe that the Merfolk in that lake may have a pact with your headmaster as there are children near their shores it is most likely. However I have no idea what could have swayed them to listen._

_Tom_

Tom sighed as he leaned back in his chair. He had found an odd little room on the seventh floor. It changed as it was needed, he had been studying it diligently as well as studying in it. It had a wonderful selection of books and manuscripts that it could provide. He had discovered it early in the year and had been using it for a number of things since. He had been using it largely to avoid furthering Dumbledore's apparent suspicion of him by releasing his anger out on dueling dummies.

Another ting he had used the wonderful room for was a study. He had kept journals that no one had any need to see. He had kept record of his and Harry's animagus training, he had archived much of his research into many different journals and hidden them in his study room. After he had begun to gain Dumbledore's suspicion he explored the castle for places to keep his things hidden.

FLASHBACK!

"Tom! Hide your shit. Dumbledore's coming to inspect us!" Alphard said frantically as he burst into the dungeon common room.

"Why on earth would he do such a thing he has not in the four years we have been here already? Why would he start now?"

"Some Gryffindor said that one of us had dark artifacts." Avery rolled his eyes.

"Of course they did. And the old man feels obligated to believe them." Tom answered simply. How he loathed that old man. It had seemed that he disliked him from the start even with that mask he gave.

"No shit. Hide books to anything that could be incriminating for any of us." Alphard fussed.

"And where exactly do you propose that I hide things Black. There is nothing that can incriminate me for there is nothing to find." Tom replied slyly. The other boy seemed to pause for a moment.

"Are you sure you don't need any help? I can get my cousin Dorea to hide your stuff with mine…"

"I am quite sure." Tom's smirk broadened into a sadistic wolf like grin. He had taken precautions from the very beginning; he had known full well most wizards frowned upon what he was getting into.

Moments later Dumbledore arrived in the dungeons. He oddly enough went for Tom's dorm first. Tom narrowed his eyes at this. Of course the old man would come after him.

"Tom please open your trunk." Dumbledore said in his infernal grandfatherly tone. Anyone else would only see an old man making a request but in four years Tom had grown wise. To him it was a demand and he had never been one to listen to demands well.

"I would rather not professor."

"Tom, I am afraid you have no choice. I am sure that you have nothing to hide but we were informed that there were dangerous items being kept here."

"Very well then professor." Tom said silkily.

Dumbledore looked in Tom's trunk; he went through the carefully organized parchments, quills, and ink. He searched thought the neatly folded clothes. He removed everything from the box to see its contents strewn across the boy's bed.

Among the emptied contents there were very few personal items at all the only one that stood out was a single piece of parchment with a carefully drawn pair of figures detailing the young Riddle and a girl of similar age. Sitting on a stone wall in the astronomy tower. Dumbledore found it odd as the little girl in the picture was also wearing robes indicating that she was in fact a witch. It would seem that the young Riddle did have an attachment. How he pitied that little girl for having such a boy's attentions.

After deeming that Riddle had no artifacts at least in his trunk he allowed one of his coworkers to examine the rest of the dorms. He had already scanned the area for Tom's magic and found ner a trace.

"Why did you not wish for the search if you had nothing to hide my boy?"

"I am sorry professor but I found myself in a rather ill mood as of late. I believe I may have simply been disagreeing to disagree so to speak. How ever there could be an issue as the school is not in the right to be able to search its students effects. I would be most upset if this trivial matter led to problems for Hogwarts."

"There is nothing wrong Tom, Hogwarts will be fine I assure you. We were merely informed that one of you had something dangerous to your fellow students. Obviously our informant was mistaken." Albus looked down to meet Tom's eyes only to find that the boy was looking at his scattered things.

"Are you sure it was nothing professor? After all you wouldn't come and search our things on just a hunch would you?" Tom said with a mask of concern.

"Of course not my boy. It seems that there was nothing to worry about after all one of your classmates simply got confused is all." Dumbledore's eyes glittered mirthfully as he spoke as if he thought that he had proven that Tom really was defenseless. Oh how very wrong he was.

A few moments after Dumbledore had left the room one of the many snake portraits that hung in the dungeons wandered into a painting on the wall.

"**Young Master the old one is gone."**

"**Good."** Tom hissed in return. All his dorm mates, with the exception of Abraxaus, gasped loudly at the startling realization of who was amongst them.

Tom went to his trunk and with the tip of his wand carefully drew out a rune in its base. After the rune had set he pulled the bottom loose revealing that his trunk was indeed much deeper than one would expect. In the true bottom were books and potions that were most certainly not for school. No these were books full of dark arts and parseltounge. The potions were even more precious than his books though. Those potions had been keeping his friend alive for years now even if she didn't know it.

After examining the hidden effects of his trunk he surmised that none of if was damaged. In that time it seemed that one of his dorm mates got his voice back.

"You spoke parseltounge."

"Yes. This room has also been spelled so that none of you may tell anyone."

"Don't you know what that means!"

"…." Tom raised a single brow at Alphard Black's antics.

"Enlighten me."

"It means that you are the heir of Slytherin. You control at least a quarter of the school. You could do anything you want."

"I am aware."

"Then why don't you do anything? "

"Because it is not the right time to do so."

None of them knew that the spell that protected his secrets was really just a spell holding back a toxin he had already released. If any of them betrayed him they would die painfully. It was odorless, tasteless, and quickly dissipating when airborne, but it could be warded in their bodies for the rest of their lives if he so wished it. It was ideal and untraceable.

END FLASHBACK!

He was dangerous and he knew it. But for Harry he would hide it and only let the world see the face they thought belonged to him. He would hide it for only his friend could possibly understand. He could be charming and endearing. He could seem like the perfect gentleman. But inside there was a black-hearted creature that horded its most precious possessions like a fairy tale dragon.

Harry was the only one he could ever bring himself to trust.

* * *

><p>Time between the tasks passed slowly like the easy laziness a child feels. Every day is just an extension of the last and there is no real time everything just happens and flows together.<p>

The flowing blend of time was shattered and perforated by the uproar of the masses whether the dissent was aimed at himself or his friends. Rita Skeeter found herself banned from the school grounds and a cursed letter in her possession.

There were times Harry really wondered how Tom did what he did, only to realize it would be better for him not to know. Whatever the case maybe the slanderous reporter was punished by his friend and his friend was scolded half-heartedly.

But even with the seemingly peaceful time there were hidden horrors just beneath the surface. All too soon those horrors began to show face. Mr. Crouch's madness, then his seeming death. Then there was the confrontation with Snape. It seemed like every year the man came to hate him all the more. Tom of coarse offered to make the man 'learn' but inevitably the man would have found a way to blame him for.

But the greatest horror of all had come- the final task was afoot. Harry and the other champions soon found themselves staring in awe at what was once the Quidditch pitch now only to find that it was covered in colossal hedges making a black maze for the champions to navigate.

"Hermione. I want you to hold onto this for me. I don't want it to get damaged in there." Harry slipped off the necklace that he always wore and put it in his friend's hand.

"Isn't this the one that Tom gave you?"

"Yeah that's why I want it to stay safe. I don't want it to get damaged in there." Harry said fondly.

"Good luck."

"I'm gonna need it. Tom's already wished me luck too so heres to hoping that whatever he thinks is coming waits till the end."

* * *

><p>Rita Skeeter's eyes sparkled at the words she heard between the two teens. Who was this Tom they spoke of? Did little Harry have his heart set on someone already? Was that why her stories were received so badly? <em>'How sweet.'<em> The beetle thought mischievously, she needed more information on this boy she kept hearing about.

* * *

><p>As Harry traveled through the maze everything seemed nightmarish with only his wand as a light and everything around him half cast in shadow.<p>

Among the nightmares were several of Hagrid's beasts. It was times like these that Harry found himself agreeing with Tom's opinion of Hagrid. Perhaps he was a little mad.

He found himself facing not only monsters but men as well, Krum had been cursed and Fleur was stunned. Soon only he and Cedric remained no matter the outcome it seemed that Hogwarts would win. Harry couldn't help but feel pleased with that but things took a turn for the worse all to soon.

It seemed that the law of his life had stayed true. The moment he felt anything good something bad would be following not far behind. Tom had always been the only exception to that law it seemed. But Tom never did listen to rules very well even if he told he did tell Harry himself to follow them.

Harry couldn't even cry as Cedric lay open eyed and vacant expressioned on the ground. He couldn't feel anything, He was too afraid to feel. He couldn't help but stare at the blood that poured from his arm that Wormtail had cut. The only thought that he had float through his mind was that he would have one more scar to glamour.

But as soon as the ritual the rat had done was complete fear flooded his mind. All thoughts and pain were forgotten in the face of true terror.

* * *

><p>Voldemort looked at the frightened child on the ground. There was no purpose in this. The boy had vanquished him, leaving him as a spirit, but he was simply a boy. He was a child who was simply in his way. The boy was not even possibly an enemy. The only thing that made this child a threat at all was the prophecy.<p>

There as the boy held his bloodied arm he looked him in the eyes. And for a moment he saw, overlying Potter's face, a seventeen-year-old girl. Her soft features and doll like almond-shaped eyes were looking up at him.

'_You hurt me Tom. Why? You were my friend_. _You said you would protect me.'_ The thought of her flitted through his mind like a deranged humming bird.

He needed to compose himself, for her he would offer one more chance to the boy, only for her. He cursed the shallowness of the wizarding gene pool for giving Potter _her_ looks. He would curse it a thousand times more before he was finished.

* * *

><p>Nagini could not understand why her master wanted to destroy the boy. It caused her master pain that he resembled his mate who had gone. She didn't see why he would not take the boy as a new mate. He was a speaker as well and he had looks that her master had found attractive on his mate why was he being so stubborn on this matter?<p>

Honestly it had been so long since her master had a mate. And he and his mate had never had any hatchlings. Her master would have been such a good sire, and having more speaker hatchlings in the world would make it all the better in her opinion.

The boy's scent was even similar to her master's mate. Nagini had a long memory and she could say that for certain. Her master's mate and the boy's scents were nearly identical if not exactly the same. If that wasn't a sign that he would make a good mate for her master she didn't know what was.

Her master offered the boy a chance only to have it thrown back. If she could Nagini would have smirked. Her master's mate had been the same way. So very resistant even if it was something that she did in fact want. She would never take any one's choices but her own.

Her master growled in annoyance possibly from the similarity possibly from being denied. It didn't particularly matter as they started to duel. It was obvious that the boy had no experience in dueling.

But then something happened that shocked them all.

* * *

><p>Voldemort quickly broke the connection. If the spirits went back much further his death eaters would see his own father. But it seemed that he wasn't the only one afraid of the spirits from his wand. Fear burned brightly in the boy's eyes even as he had gazed up at his parents. No especially as he gazed upon them.<p>

But that fear-ridden gaze made his mind drift back to a dream he had while he was in the golem form. When he was weak and drifting out of consciousness he had dreamed of his Harry when they were young, they had never truly met so it could never have been anything more than a concoction of his own subconscious.

"_Nothing will harm you while I am here."_ He had whispered in the dream as he cradled her to his chest. The rest of the dream had been blurred but that moment had stuck with him. Why did his mind torture him so? Even after he had long failed to protect his most precious treasure, his mind still haunted him with images of that broken promise.

Every time he looked at Potter he thought of her. Every time he saw the boy he felt a pang in his chest. He was far too old for this nonsense; even if the boy wasn't an obstacle he was far far too old for one so young. A monster in many regards he may be but never _that._

He let the boy leave as his mind troubled him. He would take care of the matter of his followers come morning.

* * *

><p>Harry sat in the furthest corner of the hospital wing. He was emotionally drained. The only thought that he could rationally think was<p>

'_Why him?'_ the image of Cedric dying played in his mind over and over again. It had finally caught up with him that the helpful friendly boy was really gone and it was his fault. He could barely hear the people asking him about the happenings in the graveyard. He didn't register Madam Pomfry handing him potions. He was simply stuck. But there was something he couldn't even understand it but it was there. Something inside him was screaming, it was the same hurt that came when people turned their backs on him. But why? Why would he feel that there of all places? There was no one there. Only Voldemort and he would never be on his side. Never.

_Tom,_

_You were right this tornament was bad from the start. One of the other Champions… he died right in front of me. Just for being there. I keep seeing it happen over and over again in my head. I want it to just stop. I cant stand it. It's my fault that he's dead. That his parents who were so proud of him don't have a son anymore._

_I won the tournement, I gave the prize money to Ron's brothers. The twins needed funding for their joke products and I didn't want blood money. No amount of gold is worth this._

Tom stared at her letter, he felt absolutely nothing for the fact that a boy had died but he did feel for the fact that his friend was so upset by it. He felt jelousy that his sweet little friend was so attached to the boy. Harry seemed to have an ablity to care for anyone at all. If it had been him in that boy's stead her reaction would most likely be the same if not many times worse.

_I'm finding it just a tad bit ironic that the best DADA teachers we have had were one a dark creature (he was a werewolf- you were right. Just in case I didn't tell you before.) two a dark wizard. The man was a genius… ok a bit of a mad genius but still I think we learned more this year and last individually then we did in the first two combined._

_By the way Tom do you know anything about dueling? I need to learn and quickly. What I remember from the colossal bust that the dueling club in second year is almost nothing. Except launching a cobra into the air pisses her off._

_Harry_

Tom instantly felt worried at the lighthearted words coming from her letter. In the midst of her guilt driven depression she was trying to make light of something. Two things stuck out the most though. One it would seem as though her teacher all year had been a dark wizard, though she had thought him a retired auror. Perhaps he had been disguised or perhaps he had merely been dark all along and had decided that being an auror was a 'noble' path.

Tom didn't particularly care about the details with the man it was quite obvious by her speaking of him in passed tense that he was no longer a problem. No the greater problem was her asking to learn to duel. Not just to duel but to learn to do so quickly.

"Oh Harry, what have you unleashed upon yourself, my friend." _'And how much worse will it become?' _He thought solemnly.

* * *

><p><em>Harry,<em>

_I know it will seem cruel but I don't care that that boy died. I am just thankful that you didn't. He entered this tournament by his own choice knowing full well that he could die. You were forced into it._

_With all this I do wonder what would you do if it were me instead. If I had died?_

_On another note I am not sure if I can teach you to duel though a letter my friend. I may be able to teach you spells but you have to condition your body to have the stamina to duel. Running would be the best starting point I believe. Then followed by shortening the time it takes for you to cast spells._

_Tom_

Harry's heart froze as he read Tom's letter. How could his friend even think of that. Why would he say that? It made no sense at all.

* * *

><p><em>Tom,<em>

_Don't say that. Not even joking. Not ever. It hurts terribly that a boy I barely knew died in front of me. If you died I would never forgive you or myself._

_Don't you dare. You may not care about anybody else but I care about you. You are my best friend in the whole world Tom. I know you don't have a lot of reasons to trust anyone or to care for anyone but believe me. I care for you._

_I kind of figured that you wouldn't but thanks for the advice anyway. I'll give it a try. I'm already quick maybe I can be quicker. Then Dudley wont ever be able to catch me. I'm not sure how I can shorten the time it takes to cast a spell though._

_Love,_

_Harry_

Tom looked over Harry's letter in near shock. He had expected something along the lines of her being sad but such a vehement response was highly unexpected.

And for a moment it seemed that she forgot that he cared about her in her terror at the thought of him dying. She had even wrote out the valation (A/N: its what the sincerely at the end of a letter is called I don't think I spelled it right though) normally they didn't bother with them. Her powerful reaction defiantly soothed his jealousy of the boy she was mourning. Though perhaps it wasn't truly mourning so much as shock. She did say that he died in front of her. Though most of his jealousy was soothed by her exclamations of barely knowing the other champion.

* * *

><p>Voldemort stared out the window of his study. It had been thirteen years since last he had been there. It was good to have a body again. Truly one did not know what they had until it was gone. That was a lesson he had learned painfully too many times.<p>

The method that he had returned made him think of her so much. He hadn't been the one to instigate the tournament's return but he had utilized it's presence all the same. But his encounter with Potter had cemented it's connection to her. Somehow every time he met the boy all he could think of was how like her he was.

Voldemort growled in fury, the boy was nothing like her. No one was. There were no innocents left in the world. It didn't even matter if there were. He had killed men, women and children in cold blood. Innocence didn't matter to the world and it didn't matter to him either. He hated her for this weakness she caused him, he feared her even more. Perhaps that was why he feared death so. Perhaps he had simply been running from her instead. But it seemed that no matter the fear or rage he felt towards her, he would have done anything to have her back.

Dumbledore was wrong. So very wrong. The old man thought that he found love to be weak because he had never experienced it. But that couldn't be further from the truth. He knew love to make men weak because he still felt it.

* * *

><p>"Hello Severus." Voldemort found amusment at the ever so faint shudder that went through the potions master as he spoke. A lesser man than he wouldn't even have noticed but that was what made Severus such a good spy, he lived by hiding and he breathed by deceiving.<p>

"My Lord."

"So you have finally returned to me."

"Of course my lord. I have always been loyal to you" the dark man didn't even realize when he went too far. The loyal traitor. Oh how he hated traitors more than anything.

It made him think of the little trick of words that that his Harry had wrote to him when they were small.

'_if a liar says he's lying, is he really? or is he telling the truth.'_ It had been nothing but a riddle of the mind but it was a phrase that suited Severus Snape like none other.

"Tell me Severus. What do you know about Harry Potter?"

"I teach him my lord. He is as arrogant as his father was before him."

"I see and what of his location."

"I don't know my lord. Dumbledore has him hidden somewhere in the muggle world where he is waited on hand and foot like the brat he is." The last part was hissed under his breath but Voldemort still heard every bit of it.

"I do not care about age old squabbles Severus. What I want to know is if the boy is truly the threat that Dumbledore seems to hope he is."

"I don't know my lord."

"Has he given off any signs of this supposed power?"

"No my lord, not that I am aware of."

"Tell me of the events that have taken place in the years of the boy's second and third years at Hogwarts I will decide if he is a threat or not. I do not believe as of right now that he is a threat."

"Potter is lazy my lord I highly doubt he will ever be a threat to you. His grades are mediocre at the best of times. "

"Spare me you're opinions and tell me what happened."

"Yes my lord." Severus flinched slightly at the tone in his master's voice.

"In the boy's second year the chamber of secrets was opened. The staff were never informed as to who opened it but the Weasley girl was taken into the chamber and Potter instead of waiting or telling an adult mounted his little group together and charged in."

Voldemort scowled darkly. He knew that there was only one way that the chamber could be open. How could his younger self have been so foolish as to leave the chamber entry open? He was going to have a nice long and particularly painful chat with Lucius after he was through with Severus.

"Continue Severus."

"No one knows what actually occurred in the chamber only that the boy rescued the Weasley girl and lost Lucius his house elf. All that I am aware of beyond his is that he still has the book."

"Who?"

"Potter. Lucius threw it at him when he lost his elf." Rage and fear began to flood through the dark lord. This was not a good thing.

"What was the state of the book upon its return?"

"Very poor my lord it had a hole run through it."

"Crucio." The word was said softly with no accent of emotion to it but it may as well have been screamed as it echoed in Severus' ears.

The dark man soon found himself writhing on the ground in agony as every nerve in his body was constricted by the curse.

After a few moments the curse was lifted. But for Severus those moments seemed as if each one was an eternity.

"Continue with your report."

"Yes my lord." The potions master gasped, pulling himself up from the thrown room's floor.

"In his third year Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban. I am sure that most of that year has already been told to you by Pettigrew my lord."

"Humor me Severus." The Dark Lord drawled as he lazily twirled his wand. Severus' flinch at that was even less well hidden as the first. The Dark Lord found amusement in how at his most relaxed appearance could be more unsettling than anything else.

"Yes my lord."

"Potter has to my knowledge grown close to Black. He saved Black from the dementor's kiss at least twice. He learned to conjure a corporeal patronus that year as well. He proved that he has little care to when people are trying to protect him as he charges into situations blindly."

"Do you care for the boy, Severus?"

The question was strange coming from such a man, if he could be called such, as Voldemort. The very phrase of it threw him off kilter.

"No, my lord. I hold no more feeling for the boy than I did his father."

"I see. Leave me now Severus."

"Yes my lord." With that he aperated away and quickly returned to his post. After returning to Hogwarts he found himself in the same position as before just with another master.

"What happened Severus?" Dumbledore asked with twinkling eyes. The man always did ask questions to which he already had the answers.

"The dark lord summoned me to give a report to him of what has happened in his absence. He is not pleased."

* * *

><p>AN: I hope I didn't make you guys wait too long for this.


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